Remnants Of An Old World
by ZeroShoot
Summary: (What Remains - renamed) Clementine finds herself abandoned in a cruel, cold, godforsaken world. She has to survive, whatever it takes. Living in this world she will be confronted with nasty situations and severe decisions, but she'll have to make them. Things might go well for some time, but might as well turn for the worse the very next moment.
1. Alone, disturbed, tired

**What remains...**

**WARNING:** this story contains major **spoilers** for Telltalegames' _The Walking Dead _game. Please,  
if you haven't played the game (yet) don't read any further.  
You have been warned

She now was alone, all on her own in that cold wasteland of a world.  
Lee told her to get to the train, where she would meet Omid and Christa.  
But it wasn't that easy, hell when was it? With tears in her eyes she made her way  
from the jewelery store, through the streets of Savannah, a city she certainly wouldn't  
forget. It was dark and cloudy, that matched her feelings.  
"I'm so..." she pinched her eyes together "sorry,... I-I..." she thought, she was so disturbed, she could not even think straight words. She could barely hold her tears back,  
it all chased her, it was triggered by what just had happened, and now it all was coming up, the human slaughterhouse back at the dairy, she had to went through that, Duck's death, everything.

She strolled through the empty outskirts of Savannah, the creepy crawlies had gathered  
at the hospital, mostly, the others were in the main parts of the city.  
She needed some time now, urgently. "I..." she started to stutter in her mind, and dropped the thought, she felt guilty for Lee's death, after all it was her who had been the strangers' bargaining chip to get to Lee, if it wasn't for her leaving, he'd be alive, she knew it, she wasn't stupid. In fact, she was quite mature for her low age, just turned 9 and was a smart one right there, always understood what Lee did. Unlike her friend Duck, who  
was about her age too, she had learned the rules of this new... godforsaken world slowly.  
He never did, he never could have, he was more childish, and... well... as his own father said: "dumb as a bag of hammers"

Lee would have never wanted her to think that way, he felt for her just like he would have  
for his own daughter if he ever had one, he would want her to let him go, to... to move on.

"It's all gone to shit..." Clementine said with her childish voice.  
She had heard that before, someone said it, and it burned into her mind.  
Swearing was the last thing she wanted to do now, because she knew Lee and her parents would give her hell for doing so, but she felt like it... had it made her feel better?  
No... "what a crappy day" she exhaled, and continued "...the crappiest."  
The tears came back into her eyes as she remembered sitting at the side of the boxcar with  
Lee, she remembered the good times with him, when they met, their first tries to get closer... "are you okay?" she remembered herself asking Lee back at the drugstore "I'm good" she thought of him answering "good" she answered and he said "Well... yeah... being good is good, despite the circumstances" she grinned a little.  
They promised to watch each others backs back then, he kept his promise, she failed him, that's what she thought. When she realized that, she started crying, she had been saved by him so often, she couldn't even count, but she had not even have the power, the "GUTS" she thought, to put him out of his misery, to do him one last service, one at all, to give him redemption. The body of the man she cared the most about, right after her parents of course,  
was there, held "alive" by a satanic force. She got sick by only thinking of it.

"It's all your fault, you should have stayed up in that tree house" she accused herself.  
The poor girls mind was all messed up, as she finally arrived at the train, she couldn't spot anyone nearby, no Omid, no Christa, nobody. Lee had told her that they would be waiting there for her, but they weren't, they weren't... had they left her? Had they even made it that far? Was their way cut off, or were their heads? She didn't know, for all she knew: she was at point zero again, she had no supplies, no shelter, no knight in shining armor, nothing, same as months ago, when Lee stumbled upon her.  
She pinched her eyes together, and let off a waft of exhaustion, of tiredness, of guilt and annoyance, she looked up in the dark, gray sky, in movies that reassured the characters, but it didn't help, there was nobody and nothing to reassure her now.

She approached the boxcar slowly, keeping her guard up, but didn't find anybody as expected. She didn't bother to go and search the drivers cabin, because she didn't expect anyone to be there. She needed to rest, so she searched the boxcar for stuff they had left behind, because they couldn't carry everything into Savannah as she saw a Note:  
She slowly read (she was still in 1st grade):

Dear Clementine,  
When you find this we were here, Lee told us to meet up with you guys here,  
we won't take the train unless we find you, we promise, we were about to head into  
the city again, as a horde of _them _crept on us. I gotta go, I gotta keep this short, get outta there, we will be back.. soon! There are **many** of them nearby, get out of there, fast!  
_Clementine had that look on her face again, as when she thought there were spiders in her hair...  
_we left some supplies for you, be safe, and...  
God bless you, god bless us all... |it was written in a hurry.

Clementine didn't realize that some time passed and that the horde moved on, she was scared, she took a quick look around and found a can of beans, it was cooked already, but cooled down. It wasn't even warm anymore, but she took it and ran.

After 20 minutes of running, that was it... she couldn't run anymore, even IF there actually was a horde after her. Her vision was clouded, she recognized something gray and boxy far ahead, though she could barely see anything. Suddenly she fell unconscious, the beans were spilled all over the dirty ground, she hadn't eaten much, she was in bad shape, an needed a break, her body told her... that way.

The unconsciousness passed, and she was just sleeping now, she urgently needed it, she deserved it, as Lee would have said. In front of her inner eye she saw his warm face, he formed the words "sweet pea" with his mouth, but the sound was delayed, like an echo.  
She loved to be called that way, even though she didn't know it, she smiled. She felt safe for

the moment, Lee continued talking:" I need you to hear this, before you wake up, listen sweet pea, this ain't easy for you, hell I know, in your age I couldn't do what you are doing,  
I know you blame yourself for my death... " his words were cut off by a gunshot, she rose up, checked on her gun, and saw the good food spilled... her clothes full with it, well she didn't mind it on her clothes "better than the walker... guts..." she thought disgusted.  
It was the gray boxy thing it looked like a gas station from here, just along the road. "that's  
where the gunshot came from" she noticed, and nervously moved towards it.  
"Damn the fucker scared me!" she heard a male voice whispering when she stood by the window "shhhhhh" she heard another voice responding. "hey there" the first voice whispered "there's something!" "and what would that be hon'?" the second voice responded again. "looks human, or not human, well who am I to tell these days?" the first voice said, and the second one immediately sighed. Clem held her gun up, ready for whoever it was...  
Someone jumped around the corner, and couldn't trust his eyes... "Clementine! Is that really you?" She turned around, scared as she was, she pulled the trigger, not on purpose  
of course, and the shot luckily missed Omid. His eyes were spread open, his mouth either,  
as Christa came around the corner, she was happy to see Clementine, and sad not to see Lee, even though she expected him... not... to be there. "I'm so, so, so, so, so lucky you're alive sweetheart!" "Yeah right, about time something good happened to us" Omid responded, Clementine was shocked, she couldn't say anything, she only felt a warm feeling deep inside, and ran upon them, and hugged them, both as strong as she could, she didn't love them as she did her parents and Lee, but she liked them very much, like an older brother, and an older sister. She was happy again. "so... where's Lee? 'round the back?" Omid asked as Christa pushed him with her elbow. "Oh I'm I- I'm sorry girl..." he stuttered, and there little Clem was crying again "he... he... he's gone... ." She had that empty look on her face, same as when she told Lee "I saw my parents", her voice was the same as well, it tore her heart apart. "It'll be alright sweetie" Christa tried to defuse the situation as best as she could, but Clem was quick to answer. "It's all my fault, it IS... if I hadn't-" "NO, that's-not-true, don't think like that" Christa interfered. "but it is" she said with a pale look in her face "He saved me uncountable times, and I... I... I..." it was hard for her, the tears ran down her cheeks "I... got him... killed" her eyes were spread open... . Christa was quick to hug her, she whispered "don't think like that, he wouldn't want you to."

After 2 intense minutes of silence, Christa released her from the hug, her jacket was all  
wet, but that's just what Clem needed, 2 quiet minutes to cry, she had to let it all out. All that had happened.

Clem knew there was no time, sun was about to sink into the golden hills of Georgia, they had to think about what to do next, the city was no option any more, they didn't know what was ahead when they would follow the road, neither they knew how long the train could keep going, and where it would take them.

As if she saw Christa's question coming she answered "I-I'm... fine" before Christa even asked about how she felt, she knew, there was time to grieve just not know, they had to find shelter for the night. "Is the gas station safe?" she asked. "Nothing is safe these days hon', but we'll be fine in there for the night" Christa answered.  
The place was scavenged, there wasn't much left, some chocolate and granola bars, some cans of beer and energy drinks, basically nothing that would keep them alive for too long.  
The shop like shelves were almost empty, some bags of chips and candy were left, empty bottles, were laying around the whole place, the cash register was empty, well some people still didn't get that cash wasn't worth a rat's ass anymore.

There was nothing soft around, Clem had left her pillow at the train, luckily she had curly hair. "Well... sleeping's gonna be tough today..." Omid said, trying to ease their situation up.  
"Sleeping... yeah right..." Clem mumbled all exhausted. The sarcasm came from Carley, even though she hadn't be long in their group somewhat around 3 months, Carley had influenced Clem very much, she was nice to her, and to Lee, she had wanted them to get close, but that never actually happened. She saw them on the balcony, how Carley kissed Lee on the cheek, the girl saw everything. Always. They all had influenced her, Carley's sarcasm, Kenny's swearing, Ben's shyness, and mostly... Lee's optimism, like her feelings for him, the trait she had from him was the strongest, once she thought about that, she felt better. Clementine was their legacy, all that those persons had left behind in this world, she was a perfect little mixture of all of them.

They knew this day was over, there wasn't much they could do now, but they figured not everyone could go to sleep tonight, someone had to stay on watch. Much things changed, but one didn't - there were still walkers, even though it seemed like god had given them the little break they deserved, they knew it wouldn't stay like that, they had to find something better the next day, the windows weren't boarded up, there were no supplies, it was bad.  
Omid knew Christa needed to sleep, she was pregnant, she never mentioned it, not even to him, but hell... he knew, he knew this women for over a decade, he knew something was very different, besides that, he liked Clem a lot, but he figured Christa was what she needed now, a mother figure, someone who was good in calming people down, he was funny, and sensitive, but Christa was better with that.

"I keep watch, you need your beauty sleep, girls" he joked. How could he still? What kept this man motivated after all what happened? Him and Christa must have been lucky back  
on the road, he didn't seem like he was through much _yet_. Christa and Clem laid in the corner, cuddling, it kept the both of them warm, and it felt good after all the stress and pain, and... everything. Christa was out after 10 minutes, sleeping like a baby, Clem though couldn't keep her eyes closed, the quiet of the night made her think, think about Lee and her parents, she knew it only would upset her, but she couldn't stop thinking, too much happened, a human being can only take so much emotional damage. Clem's limit was far behind already, she would never get over it, she would never be "alright" again. She continued thinking about much stuff, about all the good times there were in her short life,  
She wanted the motel back... badly, she felt safe there, she didn't exactly like it, but it became her home after all, more than that she wanted her normal life back.

This world became a nightmare, it felt the same, it _was_ the same, except for the fact that it was true. There was no waking up, no ending this, humanity was damned, its time limited. How long would it take until the glorious human race, the self-appointed ruler of this _once_ beautiful world would be extinguished from the living hell it became? There was no cure, no... hope. Where did yesterday go? Why did the apocalypse break out? Had the humans angered god? Hell... _was_there a god? Hard to believe those days.

She cried herself to sleep that night... with her zombified parents' faces in mind.

It was cruel, how this world had no mercy, it extinguished life just as hope, the walkers didn't care, they didn't negotiate, that was the special thing about them, they were the most simple form of life there was, they wanted to survive just like the humans, they had to eat, they didn't eat theirs though. They ate humans, it was like millions of years ago when the dinosaurs walked our earth.

Maybe this was karma, maybe the human race got what it deserved. They always killed animals and other humans ruthlessly, now they were put in that position, in the position of the weaker. Now they had to prove, that they were the top notch of evolution.

**Author's note:**

Thanks for reading, I will continue on writing this story, because I just feel like it, I hope you enjoy(ed) it. Please leave a review, and give me feedback, negative feedback is just as appreciated as positive, because I **really **want to improve my writing.


	2. Dried tears and thin air

Dried tears, and thin air...

The night was over, the tears dried, the air was thin, there was tension, not between the  
three of them, but in general, they were in a misery, they hadn't have much food left,  
neither they had much water or beverages, nothing that would keep them alive for too long.

She was snoring a little the tears on her cheek were dried, when she woke up,  
she saw Omid and Christa were up already.  
"So w-what now?" Clementine asked shyly.  
"Well..." Omid answered her, not knowing what to say.  
"We'll work something out, don't worry" Christa tried to calm the kid down, without success.  
Clementine: "Lee told us to meet by the train didn't he? W-why don't we take the train?"  
Her voice was a mixture of upset and excited.  
Christa: "Because we don't know what's ahead"  
Omid: "What else is there to do? Follow this lonesome road to nowhere?" His voice had  
the usual tone.  
Christa: "I don't know, what if we run out of fuel?"  
Omid: "It's our best bet, isn't it?"  
Clementine: "No matter what Lee said, it always saved our group, even before we met you, he told us to meet up at the train, so that's what we do, we take the train."  
Christa: "Clem, honey... look... I know you miss Lee, I feel with you, believe me I really, really do, but that doesn't make all his words true, the train is a huge risk..."  
Omid interrupted: "But think of it, Kenny was right, Lee is the smartest one of us"  
Christa:"But..."  
Omid: "Look, we can't sit on our asse-"  
Clementine: "Swear" she smiled a little.  
Omid: "_Buts_, is that better?" he grinned  
Clementine nodded.  
Omid continued: "...we can't sit on our buts waiting for miracles to happen, we need to do _something_, look we gotta take our chances, it's better than nothing, isn't it? Believe me I got a good feeling on this"  
Christa: "Well..."  
Clementine: "Do I get a vote too?"  
Christa: "Sure you do, you are a part of this group sweetheart, what's your vote?"  
Clementine: "I trust Lee, I know he was right, I vote we take the train!" she cheered.  
Christa: "Alright... what's there to lose? We're going on a train ride..." she sighed.

Having decided what they're up to do, they gathered whatever was left at the gas station and took it with them.

The train was not far away from the gas station, so they arrived within the same hour.

They were really close now, they could see it in full detail, but there was one problem, there always was, had felt strange if there wasn't – The horde came back, the train was overrun with them, there were so many they couldn't even count, they had this one, Clem's Glock it wouldn't be enough, it only would draw attention to them and get them killed, they had to think now. They were looking at the train's front, so they moved a little around it, without getting closer, just as they thought – the boxcar had some of them laying in there, but the drivers cabin was empty, if they got there without too much attention, they would be golden again.  
Christa:"Why's it never easy?"  
Omid:"Would be nice once in a while wouldn't it?"  
Christa:"Yeah..." she sighed.  
Clementine:"I know how we gonna get in there!" she had a proud feeling inside, she was useful again, she didn't realize that without them they would've died back in the meat locker  
she considered herself a burden to the group, though she wasn't, but helping once more, that cheered her up, she knew Lee would be proud of her.  
She continued: "Lee is saving us again!"  
Christa:"Clem..."  
Clementine:"No, listen!"  
Christa:"Okay sweetie we should at least listen"  
Clementine:"See my clothes?"  
Omid:"Full of beans..."  
Clementine:"No! Not that" she sounded a little annoyed by now, as if they wouldn't take her serious.  
Omid:"Dried blood?"  
Clementine:"Walker blood, it was Lee's idea, he rubbed me in with that stuff-"  
Christa:"Why would he-"  
Omid:"Let me guess... it keeps of those stupid crawlies?"  
Clementine:"Yes!"  
Christa:"Now we only need to separate one walker from the horde, and kill him quietly."  
Omid:"Anybody got anything sharp, or hard, or heavy?"  
Clementine:"My gun is heavy!"  
Omid:"Should work out..., mind borrowing it too me?"  
She hesitated a little, it wasn't Lee's Glock, but she pretended it to be, after all, it was the  
last _thing _he gave to her besides advice of course.  
She handed it to Omid, but didn't let go, she said: "but take good care of it it's _Lee's_"  
Her voice had a pleasing tone, after that she released her hand from it.  
Omid:"I will girl" he nodded towards her.  
Christa, held in for a moment, she was so incredibly sorry for the girl, she saw the pain in her eyes, she saw what this girl went trough, she asked herself why things had to happen that way, was it destiny? Coincidence? For all she knew, she had to try and keep things calm, both of them Omid and Clem looked up to her as the peacemaker and keeper, she  
was a calm and warm mother figure for Clem and an understanding girlfriend to Omid.  
Everyone had his particular role in this little group, Christa's role is just mentioned above, Omid is the funny guy he makes people laugh, that keeps them motivated, Clementine is one of the very last good and pure things in this world, she keeps the spirit up, and is a  
good listener, her pureness though, it gets more tainted with every single day, Lee had done what he could to prevent that, he meant good, but it was foolish, like Chuck said, the walkers don't care if you're a kid, if you're a boy or girl, if you're smart or dumb, you're _alive _- or not.

Christa:"Now to separate ONE of those things..."  
Omid:"Can't we throw a rock or... something?" he grinned a little.  
Christa:"No, it would attract just more of those, it would at least be tree of them up our a...  
eh... you know."  
Clementine:"I'm still rubbed in with the guts, w-what if I go there and pull one by the hand?"  
Christa:"NO! Forget that, right now."  
Clementine:"You said I'm a part of the group, and as a part of it I gotta pull my weight!"  
Christa:"Do you even know what that means?"  
Clementine remembered Lee's words in her head:"It means being useful, like you are"  
Clementine:"It means being useful..."  
Christa:"You _are_, look, without you we wouldn't even have a plan."  
Clementine smiled, she liked being useful, she really enjoyed that.  
Omid:"Yeah girl, you've done your share of work for today, let the adults handle this,"  
Clementine:"There's no other way..., I'll be fine, Lee is watching me."  
Christa:"No, there is absolutely no way I will let you do that."  
Omid now had a rather serious look on his face too:"Me neither."  
Clementine wasn't dumb she knew they wouldn't let her wander off, but she had another plan, she was smart just like Lee had been, she now was the smart part of the group, she  
saw obvious things adults didn't see. From her parents she learned: once they argue, they don't realize what she does, they simply are too busy for that. She had to get them to argue, by the looks of it that wouldn't be easy.

Omid:"So what now?"  
Christa:"The hell do I know..."  
Omid:"Something wrong honey?"  
Christa:"No, it's fine I ju-"  
Omid:"Stop acting I know it, you're pregnant..."  
Christa:"No, I'm not, you-"  
Omid:"I know you for too long to dig that, hon'"  
That was Clem's chance, she had to do it now or never.  
She was scared, but she felt Lee watching her, maybe this was just pretend, but it gave her the assurance and confidence she needed so very badly. She felt him holding her, like on  
the way from the jewelry store, she was close to the first group of walkers.  
Like expected they didn't recognize her.  
It were 3 walkers standing there, two more close by. She moved close and suddenly one was suspicious, he couldn't smell the dried blood through the beans, he was on her, and she froze. Was that it? Was this one mistake, this wrong choice her end? Would it go that fast in this world? Had her short life come to a bloody end? The seconds passed like hours, she  
saw the walkers face coming, she was frozen to the core.  
Omid grabbed her by the arms and pulled her away, her knight in shining armor, he was reliable, even though he was a funny guy, he could damn well look out for Christa and Clem, he had promised Lee to do so, he kept his promise, if it wasn't for him, Clementine would be dead, extinguished from this earth... not there anymore. The more one thinks

about death, the more he asks himself what happens after that, to the humanity it's known how the brain works, but what about our feelings? Do we have a _soul_? And if yes is it released from the body once it dies, if it does, is it earthbound? Is it dwelling on our earth forever? Is it released into some sort of purgatory, from where it goes to heaven or hell? Or does it die with the body? We don't know, that makes death mysterious, is Lee completely vanished? Is he dwelling through the apocalypse? Is he in heaven, chatting with Clementine's parents, just waiting for her to join them? We don't know, for all we know, we were just about to ask the same question about Clem, if Omid hadn't interfered, he saved a live today, or has he damned another pour soul to stay in this world and suffer on?

He grabbed her and put her on his left shoulder, with the other hand he held Clem's gun, he pointed it at the walker, but didn't shoot, they made their way back, slowly, slow as the walkers, he knew shooting was the last thing they'd do, make their last stand, if they'd go to hell they'd damn well take some of those walkers with them.

5 crawlies were following them, too many for hand to hand combat, he had to think, before they arrived back where Christa had waited for them, it were like 30 seconds, 30 seconds of time this man had to figure out how to smash their heads in, they head to trap them, or separate them, to pick off one by one, but how, they only had one weapon, one blunt weapon, it were 5 of them, they would chew through Omid like a hot blade would glide through a chunk of butter.

Omid was a movie fan, so he thought: "If only we had a silencer..." but he dropped the thought, knowing this was not he time, then the gas station came back into his mind, the roof was low and flat, and could be climbed actually, but it was far away, what if they just shot the 5 of them right there, quickly rubbed them selves in with their guts and slowly walked upon the horde, which would head their way then?  
No... they couldn't cut their chests open, they needed something sharp, or a bone saw, but they hadn't.

The road they followed from the gas station to the train had a forest on the right and left side, now Omid had an idea: "how easy was it to trip over a tree stump? Exactly, once they fall, we can drop heavy shit on their heads!" he thought, and smirked, having his ridiculously big eyes spread open. He needed Christa to find rocks in the forest once they got there.

Clementine was still frozen, it was a shock for her, a near-death experience, she never thought it could happen so fast, one, ONE, wrong choice and that's it, this world had no mercy, it didn't forgive mistakes, you had to be smart about what you did, another lesson  
she would never forget. She had wanted to be like Lee, go and fix whatever problem they had, that's what she saw Lee like, for her, he never made mistakes, he always had done everything right, but the truth was different, Lee did mess up some things too, but Clem didn't see that, she only saw the good in people unless the bad was overwhelming, that was just a childish trait, one thing Lee admired about her, he was a convicted murderer after all. After all the good he had done, he had killed a man coldblooded.  
Clem knew, he had told her, he had always been honest with her, he couldn't lie when looking into her big, sweet eyes, hell... who could? He wanted her to trust him with her life, so he figured he would need to trust her with his secrets, that made their bond stronger.  
Clementine thought: "Dad always said murderers are bad people, that they should be  
locked away for ever, but..." She understood much, but not how such a good man could be  
a murderer it bothered her. "No, I don't care what Lee did before, the man he killed was a bad man, Lee told me, he always told me the truth, I don't care if he was a murderer, he was... he... h-" She started crying, his death was not too long ago, why didn't she cry about her parents' death? Because she did already, she cried almost every night back when the group was complete, quietly of course, no one noticed, not even Lee, he was always tired, and with him around she always was strong, she had shed uncountable tears for her parents, now she did for Lee. She kind of arranged herself with them missing, they weren't there the last 3 months, Lee was, he was the last beacon of hope for her, this beacon was extinct now.

Omid: "Christa, hon', follow me in the woods, and watch your steps!" he yelled.  
Christa: "What are you up to?" she yelled back.  
Omid: "We gon' make them trip over and then we'll drop heavy shit on their heads, that's what I'm up to!"  
Christa: "What should I do?"  
Omid: "find a heavy rock, and wait until one falls!"  
Christa: "Okay, please! Be careful!"  
Omid walked into the woods, and there two of them tripped right at the first stump, Christa had found a rock, and dropped it on one's head, but the other one grabbed her leg.  
Christa screamed: "Omid, Omid! It has my leg!"  
Omid drew his gun, he was aware of the consequences, but he'd rather risk all their lives, than letting anyone die, he would've done the same for Clem, this time there was no pulling Christa away, he had 3 walkers left on his back, a little girl on his left shoulder and in his left hand, and a gun in his right. He shot the walker, that had Christa's leg and was just  
about to bite. Then he fired two shots at the 3 walkers in front of him and 2 dropped down dead. The last one he kicked in the rotten stomach, knocked him flat, he walked upon it and stomped on its head until it didn't budge. It was brutal, but necessary to save bullets, they had 13 left now. 1 was fired when Omid scared Clem back at the gas station, 3 were just fired. Omid and Christa's guns were empty, so they had left them behind at the gas station, which wasn't exactly smart.

Christa:"Ufffff... that was..."  
Omid:"Close..."  
He realized what he had just done, he saved two lives today.  
But they just jumped out of the frying pan, right into the fire. The shots had alerted the horde so they had to figure out how to gut those walkers... fast.

**Author's note: thanks if you are still reading my little story,  
I enjoy writing it, so I hope you enjoy reading it, if there is  
anything you want to say please leave a review, and if you  
want more, please stay tuned, because there will be more.  
-thanks!  
**


	3. Out of the frying pan

Out of the frying pan. . .

When everything you live for is taken from you, what is the point in living then?  
When civilization is erased, and the law of nature, the survival of the fittest is what matters,  
and the human race, is forced to fight for survival, there are no jobs, no entertainment, no living together peacefully, survival is all that matters now. Things don't get better, or they get worse before they do, humans have to pull on one string and stand together to persist in this hostile world, but instead... we see bandit groups bothering little survivor groups, mankind doesn't change, even in the apocalypse, at the end of all days they're in a power struggle, the walkers are a consensus, they work together. One walker doesn't stand a  
chance against a human, a smart human can actually handle quite some walkers by himself, but it is the horde that makes them dangerous, they slowly surround you, they perfectly work together. The humans don't they are still fighting their pitiful wars, it is their complexity. It made mankind become the most dangerous and successful form of live on  
this planet, and it is about to be the reason of their extinction.

Omid slowly realized what he just had done, he had made their situation a lot worse.  
He put Clementine back on her own feet, he couldn't carry her anymore, he was tired, he kept watch last night so he was just too tired.  
They all needed a break, Lee had told them they needed to find some safe heaven.  
Some place where they could just _live_, some place where they could raise Clem, some place where they wouldn't have to bother with walkers.  
What could such a place be? There are many theories what place is the safest  
during a zombie apocalypse, truth is... there is none.  
No island, no castle, no prison, no fortress, no city, no house, no farm, all those places are  
fragile, because humans carry the virus in them, what if Omid gets a heart attack during the night? No matter how strong the walls or defenses of the so called "safe heaven" are, an unexpected intruder is now in it.

They had to come up with a new plan now, they were in the woods, probably 3 minutes away from the train, the walkers were alerted.  
Omid: "Christa, hurry, find a stick or something sharp or..."  
Christa: "Found a bottle!"  
Omid: "Well... I'll be damned..."  
Clementine: "Cut one of their chests open!" She was nervous.  
Christa was quick to smash the bottle and dragged one of the dead walkers closer to them.  
She took a glass shard and rammed it into its chest. She cut it open. The smell... it was something you just can't get used too, Christa puked, Omid was about to do so too, and little Clem smiled inside. She had went through that before.  
Each one of them grabbed into the walker and took out whatever he found and they rubbed themselves in with it. They were hopefully ready for what was ahead, approximately more than 100 walkers. They slowly made their way, everyone of them knew, that if this wouldn't work not everybody was getting out alive. The walkers seemed very... curious, they couldn't think of course, but it seemed like they were asking themselves: "Why the hell are they going that-a-way?

Seconds felt like hours, moments like minutes, luckily the air was very arid, or they'd  
have a serious problem. Christa was shedding tears, Omid had a crazy look on his face,  
Clementine pinched her eyes together, and held Christa's arm. It was so disgusting, but that is just what life was like now, disgusting.

They arrived at the train, even the boxcar was empty by now, they all let a waft of relief  
go. They had made it, but they knew they couldn't keep going like this, or they wouldn't  
last for too long.  
Omid: "Hell, let's get this thing started..."  
Christa: "Okay, I'll go and have a little chat with Clementine over in the boxcar okay?"

They had barely any food left, so that was the next thing on the agenda. Food, how they used to treat food, funny... humans used to pick the very best food back when corpses  
didn't walk bread and buns from yesterday were thrown away, because they weren't crispy enough, or because they were to dry, because... they weren't perfect.  
Now they would eat anything that could keep them alive, they'd kill for a day's worth meal.

Clementine and Christa arrived in the boxcar, they sat down as Omid started the train, Kenny had taught him.  
The girls sat at the side of the boxcar, their legs were hanging out.  
Clementine: "I'm sorry"  
Christa: "Look... I know you want to be helpful, I understand you, but you can't just run  
off..."  
Clementine: "I know... it's just... I can't do anything useful" she had a sad look on her face.  
Christa: "Yeah you can, you _are_ useful"  
Clementine: "I almost got you killed, like I got Lee killed..."  
Christa: "Don't start like that, it wasn't you but that" _son of a bitch she whispered _"that... stranger, who was he anyways?"  
Clementine: "A sad man..."  
Christa: "Do you know why he kidnapped you?"  
Clementine: "Yes, I listened to him and Lee talking, he owned the station wagon..."  
Christa: "Station wagon?"  
Clementine: "Our group was about to starve, before we found the train, we found a station wagon in the woods... full of supplies and food and medicine!"  
Christa: "And... you took it?"  
Clementine: "No! Lee and me didn't, our group did, we told them it is someone's"  
Christa: "This man Lee... he surprises me every single day... even when he was near  
starving he wouldn't steal..."  
Clementine: "This hoodie... it was Adam's, that's what his son's name was."  
Christa: "Well you were more important to him than he was himself, he stole that hoodie for you am I right?"  
Clementine: "It was cold..."  
Christa: "I don't blame him..." they were about to drift off topic, but Christa remembered what this conversation's origin was.  
Christa: "Clem, honey, I wanted to tell you... it is dangerous to wander off, you  
understand? Please, please don't do that ever again without asking" She had a pleasing and desperate tone in her voice.  
Clementine: "Okay..."  
Christa: "You understand why those rules have to be?"  
Clementine: "Yes..." her voice was a little disappointed.  
Christa: "Where did yesterday go?" She sighed  
Clementine: "I don't know... it seems like years ago when everything was normal"  
Christa: "Yeah..."  
The both of them had something very nostalgic in their voices.  
Clementine: "I even miss school... Lee promised me he would teach me once we'd find a safe place..."  
Christa: "Ain't that neat..."  
Clementine: "Why did all of this have to happen?"  
Christa: "Well... Lee would probably say something like, things happen for a reason, or  
that things were complex..."  
Clementine: "Yeah he would..."  
Christa: "But frankly... I don't know..."  
Clementine: "Oh..."  
Christa: "It is just something none of us can explain, maybe one day, things get back to normal, maybe they won't, what do you think?"  
Clementine: "I think it'll be okay again!" She smiled.  
That little cute smile reassured Christa: "Someone could mistake you for Lee's daughter, you know? You're just as optimistic as him." She grinned.  
Clementine: "He always considered me..."  
Christa put her arm around Clem, and Clem laid her head on Christa's leg.  
Clementine: "What will you call it?"  
Christa: "Call what?"  
Clementine: "I heard you and Omid talking..."  
Christa: "Oh... uhm... well..."  
Clementine: "Is it going to be a boy or a girl?"  
Christa: "We don't know yet."  
Clementine: "Oh... what do you want it to be?" She liked babies, so she was very excited, her voice sounded that way.  
Christa: "Maybe a little girl like you? Though... a boy would be nice too..."  
Clementine: "Like me?"  
Christa: "Sure... why not?"  
Clementine smiled.  
Christa smiled back.  
They talked about their past for hours, now that the sun was about to shift in with the  
moon, they realized, that they'd need to get some sleep, there were some pillows left in the boxcar and sleeping bags, luckily it could be closed, so nobody would fall out.  
Christa thought, that this night, Omid would need sleep more than her.  
She decided to go over to the driver's cabin.

Where was this train going? Where would it take them? How long would it keep going? Savannah was far behind them now, none of them would miss this town, that's for certain.  
The sun has sunken into the golden hills of Georgia, it was quiet outside, one could say _peaceful_. The blue moon came forth.

_Blue moon,_  
_you saw me standing... alone_  
_without a dream in my heart..._  
_without a love of my own..._

_Blue moon,_  
_you knew just what I was there for_  
_you heard me saying a prayer for..._  
_somebody I really could care for..._

_And then there suddenly appeared before me,_  
_the only one my arms will hold_  
_I heard somebody whisper please, adore me,_  
_and when I looked the moon had turned to gold._

_Blue moon,_  
_now I'm no longer alone..._  
_without a dream in my heart..._  
_without a love of my own..._

This song would remind people of... _the old word_a term that was nostalgic these days.

Christa had arrived at the driver's cabin.  
Omid: "Anything wrong hon'?"  
Christa: "We used to ask if everything was alright... feels like decades ago..."  
Omid: "Yeah it does... but back to my question..."  
Christa: "Yes... you need to sleep."  
Omid: "but who's gonna drive the train?"  
Christa: "Me."  
Omid: "You can't even drive a car..." he joked with a smile on his face.  
Christa: "Funny, who crashed my old Chevy 3 years ago?"  
Omid: "Alright, yeah... you're right, I need sleep, I'll just show you the basics"

Meanwhile back at the boxcar Clementine has found her old note block.  
She couldn't sleep, so she decided to draw something, like she did back at the motel...

When Omid entered the boxcar he couldn't believe his eyes what she drew.  
It was Lee, together with Clem's parents, they all had wings like angels, and halos.  
It broke his heart there for a second, but he realized... it made her feel better, she didn't think of them being dead, but she thought of them being in heaven, her childish naivety wasn't gone. After all that happened, she was still a kid.

Omid: "Hey there!" he said with his usual funny voice.  
Clementine: "Hey, Omid!" she answered with her nice childish voice.  
Omid: "How are you holding up?"  
Clementine: "Good..."  
Omid: "Really? If something bothers you, you know, you can tell me and Christa."  
Clementine: "I know." She smiled.  
Omid: "That was quite _some_ day, wasn't it?" he sat down, while saying that.  
Clementine: "Yeah, scary."  
Omid: "So... what's that you drew there?"  
Clementine: "Lee and my parents."  
Omid: "You believe in heaven then?"  
Clementine: "Yes, good people go to heaven."  
Omid: "Tell me about Lee and your parents, sweetie."  
Clementine: "Well... my dad was an engineer, mom was a doctor, Lee was a teacher at...  
uhm... how did he call it... U..."  
Omid: "UGA?"  
Clementine: "Yes! What does it mean?"  
Omid: "University of Georgia."  
Clementine: "Oh..."

This conversation went on for almost an hour, but they were really tired, so they decided  
to sleep.

Omid: "Goodnight, Clem."  
Clementine: "Goodnight, Omid!"  
Clementine: "Goodnight, mom, dad, Leeeee..." she mumbled.  
Omid noticed what she mumbled, but didn't want to talk about it, it only would've upset her.

In her restless dreams, she sees his face.  
_Lee: "Hey sweet pea, you did good today, but never wander off again,  
I promised you, I'll be there for you, always, but you know I can't interfere.  
Please don't ever do that again."  
Clementine mumbled while sleeping: "Okay, Lee."  
Lee: "That's my girl, so... how's it going?"  
Clementine: "Bad..."  
Lee: "Why didn't you tell Omid? He asked you sweet pea."  
Clementine: "Because..."  
Lee: "It doesn't matter, you can trust them, they will die for you if it comes down to that,  
you know that, don't you? They are good people."  
Clementine: "But you're the best..."  
Lee: "I..."  
_The dream was somehow over, she felt like the following words would have been  
important, now she only could hope to find out, what they were.  
She continued sleeping, _without a dream in her heart._

**Author's note: This one's somewhat shorter I know,  
It's for character development, there's not much action, but  
much talking, I thought they just met at the gas station and  
still hadn't have an opportunity to talk, now that gave them  
the opportunity. Next Chapter comes in 2 or 3 days.  
thanks for reading!**

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights for "Once in a blue moon" all credits go to its respective owners!


	4. For auld lang syne

For auld lang syne...  
some things come to an end...

Not much time is gone by, but the world has clearly changed, the scepter was removed  
from the humans, and given to the walkers, their reign was brought to a bloody end.  
Humans weren't capable of surviving on their own, they were dependent on their fancy  
firearms, electronic fences, cars, houses, kitchens, their survival depended on all of those  
things, now it was mostly taken from them, it felt almost like... a test.

The train was like a little, mobile fortress, something our survivors definitely wanted to  
hold on. But it needed fuel, sooner or later, they had to refill it, or move on without it.  
What was harder? Survive on the road or find a train's worth fuel?  
Hard to say, but one thing was for sure, their little lucky streak would soon come to an  
end, and they had to be prepared.

When Omid woke up, Clementine was already up and drawing something, like always.  
Omid: "Good morning Clem." He said with his usual smile, and funny tone in his voice.  
Clementine: "Good morning!" She answered with her usual happy voice, and a little grin.  
Omid: "Rough night, huh?"  
Clementine: "Not exactly easy at least..."  
Omid: "So, what'ya drawing there?"  
Clementine: "Our train."  
Omid: "Oh that's cool." He still wasn't sure about how to handle this kid, she was  
"like a little puzzle" as Katjaa once said.  
Clementine: "Want to play something?"  
Omid: "Sure, what could we play?"  
Clementine: "I found this set of cards in the boxcar, can you show me how to play Poker?"  
Omid: "uuuuhm..."  
Clementine: "My daddy always played it with friends, but didn't want me to watch."  
Omid: "Well, he didn't for a reason, you know? It's not for kids, besides that it's not even  
too much fun, it's about winning and losing."  
Clementine: "Oh..., why do grown ups play it then?"  
Omid: "Let me answer that one with a question... Did you try coffee once?"  
Clementine: "Just a little sip, and it was gross." She said with a disgusted face.  
Omid laughed, that face was just priceless.  
Omid: "Well grown ups do things, like that, they drink coffee even though it's gross, they  
play games that aren't even fun, they watch sad movies, they do stuff that you'll understand  
when you're old enough, believe me."

That was a little too much for her young brain, she couldn't possibly understand why adults did all  
those things, even though to her they're not likeable.  
Those things make humans what they are, they start wars, even though they  
want peace, they want to solve things, but cause new problems, they want to  
make order, but in order to do so, they first raise hell and cause chaos, they tell  
their kids not to smoke but do it themselves, people seem to know, that what  
they're doing is not always right, but they do it anyways.

Omid: "I tell you what, I show you another game."  
Clementine: "Okay."

Christa was in the drivers cabin, she was tired and exhausted, but somebody had to drive  
the train, from Savannah they knew, the walkers would follow the noise and catch up to them if they  
stopped to take a break. The train was headed south, the next big city was Jacksonville,  
but would they make it that far? Was it better there? Would they even try to  
get there, or jump off the train before?

A few hours have passed and Omid shifted in with Christa, she needed the sleep urgently,  
he was high powered and wanted to put his power into work that had to be done.

Christa was sleeping.

Clementine was lonesome, she had nobody to talk to, nobody to play with, she missed Lee,  
he always had time for her, no matter what, he was gone now, Omid and Christa tried their very best,  
and they did good, but she always would miss Lee. Why couldn't they live in peace?  
Why... was this life so cruel? She met this person, he gave her hope, and understanding,  
but with him the hope died, and was replaced by despair.  
If she pulled herself together, and was distracted she could enjoy life a little again,  
but the more time she had on her own the more she thought, the more she cried.

More hours of quiet passed, and there was bad spirit in the air, Omid thought of the old world,  
of things as they used to be, Christa was sleeping, Clementine grieved about Lee  
and he parents' deaths, as suddenly the engine's noise was getting quieter and disappeared,  
that was no good sign, the train was getting slower and slower, and stopped.

**Author's note:  
Thanks for reading, don't worry this  
is not it for today, there will be more,  
but I felt like I should make this like a little  
chapter and stop writing here, because  
dramaturgically it's a good opportunity to  
end this one, because the train stops – a cliff  
hanger if you want to.  
**


	5. Lost in the woods

Lost in the woods

The train had stopped, and it was time to move on, with their walker knowledge any of  
them could tell, that sure as the sun gon' come up tomorrow, they would have walkers  
nibbling on their corpses, if they didn't move on.

They gathered their very few supplies and put whatever they could into Chuck's old backpack,  
there was no way everything could fit in, but at least the water, and canned goods made it in completely.  
Even though everything they left behind was unhealthy like bags of chips, and cans of energy drinks and beer,  
it hurt, in this world even that stuff could keep you alive for at least a little time, they sure would come back if they could.

Omid: "Here we go again..."  
Christa: "What do we do now? I mean... where to?"  
Omid: "That would be a nice thing to know" he grinned.  
Clementine: "We'll find something, we always do."  
Christa: "Yeah you're right, we always do."  
Omid: "You know... I think we will be just fine, we had some luck lately."  
Clementine though to herself: "Not enough to make up for everything."

The last happenings had changed her, the childish spirit wasn't gone, but buried  
beneath pain, sorrow and despair, she was about to gain a little happiness back, but  
this world had something else in mind, it didn't want our survivors to rest, not more than  
they needed to.

Omid: "I guess... we... go... uhm..."  
Christa: "Yeah, tough decision, since in this world such a decision could just mean  
life or death."  
Clementine: "That way!" She pointed south.  
Omid: "Why that way?"  
Clementine: "Because the trees there look nicer!" she cheered a little.  
Omid: "Well..."  
Christa: "Omid, are you serious? We can't just go there, because the trees there look  
nicer."  
Omid: "Why not? We gotta go _some_where."  
Clementine: "Trust me, I got a good feeling on this."  
Christa: "We ain't got a better plan, do we?"  
Omid: "So it's decided then? Good, let's go."  
His voice was serious through the whole conversation, he was a funny guy, but when it  
mattered he could be serious.

They went south for 2 hours, and sun was about to go down again.  
Clementine: "Can we take a break?"  
Christa: "Is something wrong?"  
Clementine: "No... it's just... I'm tired, my feet hurt."  
Christa: "Well... okay a break could be just what we need to reconsider our situation,  
and plans, besides that... I'm damn hungry!" She said all exhausted, she only caught  
some hours of sleep last night. She smiled over to Clementine.  
Clementine: "I won't count that as a swear." She smiled back.  
Omid: "Okay girls, look out for a tree stump, or a few close together."  
After 10 further minutes of walking they saw such a place.

They sat down, there were 4 tree stumps, one in the middle, so it was used as a tiny,  
little table and they started to eat canned beans.  
Omid: "Okay, what do we have left?"  
Christa: "Not much I'm afraid, we should go looking for the next village, or, or, the next  
pull-in."  
Omid: "Yes, indeed we should."  
Clementine: "How long will it last?"  
Christa: "Don't worry, it's at least 5 rations for everyone."  
Clementine: "More that back at the motor-inn."  
Omid: "Tell us about it, now that we have time we could get to know each other, and  
something about your past."  
Clementine: "Sure, it were hard times, but good one's... we found a man at...  
uhm... W... Wa... Warner Robbin's Air Force Base, he had food for our whole group, it  
lasted 3 months."  
Christa: "How many people were there back at the motor-inn?"  
Clementine: "Uhm... It was me, Lee, Larry, Lilly, Kenny, Duck, Katjaa, Ben, Mark and  
Carley. That should be all of them. 10 we were."  
Omid: "Yeah, Lee and Kenny mentioned this Larry guy, what was there with him?"  
Clementine: "That's not a nice story..."  
Omid: "Oh... I'm sorry to remind you of it, don't need to tell us, it's fine" he smiled.  
Clementine: "Well... Larry had a heart attack, (she started to stutter) a-and... Lee and Kenny and Lilly argued  
if he was dead or not... and then... then... Kenny threw a salt-lick on Larry's head, Lee tried to help Larry...  
(her voice was very upset, tears were running down her cheeks) even though Larry always treated Lee like SHIT!"  
She shouted, very upset and incensed.  
Omid: "Honey, I'm so sorry, I never should've asked..." His face looked very ashamed.  
He quickly went over to her and hugged her.  
Their little chat was interrupted by a growl, the shout had alerted walkers.

Omid still carried Clementine's gun and dragged it out of his waistband, he was very  
attentively now, Clementine was still hugging him, and he had his left arm on her back.  
Omid: "Sweetie, go over to Christa, Christa hon' please take her, I'll fight off any of those things, if they approach."

A little group of walkers came out of the woods, it were 3, they were coming towards our survivor group.

Omid knew he couldn't shoot, they had 13 rounds, and they would need them,  
besides that shooting would only buy them some time, and alert even more walkers.  
There was another thing he knew, he would do whatever he had to, to protect his girls.  
He slowly walked upon the little group, and turned around his gun, he had the barrel in his right hand now,  
so he could strike with the grip.  
The first walker leaned forward, Omid fell back a little and reached back, he slammed the grip on the walker's head,  
the walker retreated, and Omid landed another 2 hits on its head, and it fell. The second walker came to him  
and tried to bite Omid's left arm, but he reached back with his left arm, that literally saved his life.  
He went behind the walker and hit the back of its head with the gun's grip. The first one was about to stand up,  
but Clementine kicked into its face.  
Christa: "Clem, come the HELL back!"  
Omid turned around to see what was going on there as the third walker approached him.  
The 3rd walker grabbed Omid from behind, and Omid fell.  
Christa & Clementine: NOOOOO!  
He was quick to react and rammed his elbow into the 3rd one's head, so it laid off for  
the moment, but the 2nd one was right in front of Omid as he was laying on the ground.  
The 2nd one was about to bite as Omid punched into its face with his left hand and reached  
into its eye with his thumb, he raised his right hand and reached into the walker's right eye with his right thumb.  
He exerted a huge amount of pressure on the walker's eyes and smashed them in, his thumbs reached into  
the walker's brain and killed it. He rolled away to the side and quickly got on his legs, he walked  
up to the laying 3rd walker and stomped his head in.

He was barely 15 seconds on the floor, but the girls couldn't say a word, they were shocked.  
Omid's time hadn't come yet, but he wouldn't have this much luck everytime.

After half a minute of gathering his thoughts.

Omid said: "Man... what the..."  
Christa: "Honey... that was..."  
Clementine: "Close..."

They stood together looking into the sunset.

**Author's note:  
That's it for today, thanks for reading again,  
together with chapter 4, which was released  
today as well it's about the same length as always.  
Oh one thing: In the summary I promised that  
there will be nasty situations and severe decision,  
****and there sure will be, this chapter's end gave  
a little foretaste on what will come some time later on.  
I can't destroy things I haven't built yet so,  
those promised things will come, just later.  
I really don't have a script or something,  
not even an ending in mind I'm thinking of  
how the story could continue while  
I'm writing – spontaneously. **  
**I will try to update, and submit chapters every day,  
for that I'll keep 'em short, around 2000 words a day.**  
**Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoy(ed)  
it. Please leave a review, negative ones are just as  
appreciated as positive ones. Thanks³**


	6. Running the gauntlet

Running the gauntlet

If there was such a thing like luck, it was just a casual acquaintance to our group,  
they had luck from time to time, but that was rather an exception than the standard.  
On every lucky day, at least 3 days of bad luck followed. They got the train starting, but  
it stopped, and got them into a way shittier position. There's a saying: "If it's too good to be true..."

It were several hours of walking since the walker encounter, and our group needed some  
rest, the sun was set by now, and the moon was risen.  
Sleeping in the middle of an unknown, probably walker infested forest was no option.  
But not only physically they needed a break, but also mentally, Christa was tired, Omid

was shocked, his reactions were instinctive, but he was frightened by the situation, and so  
was Clementine, after all, she was still 9 years old, people tend to forget that in this world.  
She engaged herself to act like the grown ups, but deep inside she was still frightened by  
this world, at her low age there was no getting used to corpses walking around, it was hard for adults,  
but impossible for kids. You could say everything traumatized her, but... in this  
world it didn't matter, there were no psychologists, you had to deal with your problems yourself,  
or your friends and loved ones had to help you. Omid and Christa were  
everything Clementine had left in this world, in a funny way that's a sad but... also encouraging fact,  
she had _someone_, and that's much better than being alone.

Omid: "So... what the f... reaking uhm... what are we going to do?" he sighed.  
Christa: "I don't really know, we have to hope now."  
Clementine: "Yeah, hope is something good, like... like Lee always said, never give up,  
and never lose hope."  
Omid wasn't sure about her words, there was no way he would argue with her since Lee's death was only  
a couple of days ago, but he didn't knew if he could accept those words for himself. _Hope_, a term that was  
over- and underestimated, without it people kill themselves, with too much of it they tend to do stupid things.

After another approximately 10 Minutes of walking through the darkness, Omid broke the silence once more.  
Omid: "We can't venture too far, girls. We need some place to rest, we can't spot them right now, and they  
could be lurking around every damn tree, we need shelter..."  
Christa: "Yeah, Sherlock Holmes solved the case."  
Omid: "I'm serious, we can't run through the woods expecting not to stumble upon more of them, we need  
to sit tight in some place and wait for sunrise."  
Christa: "Yeah I know that, tell me something I don't, would you?"  
Omid: "What's your problem right now?"  
Christa: "Look I'm sorry for being sarcastic, I'm just so,... so sick of this _shit_ (she whispered).  
Omid: "Don't you think I am? Or Clementine? We all are, but that attitude ain't gonna get  
us far, you understand?"  
Christa: "Yeah, I know, sorry."  
Omid: "No, you don't apologize, it's okay, frankly I could even understand, if you cried  
right now, sometimes even I feel like that..."  
Christa: "Everything's gon' be just fine."  
Clementine: "I hope so."  
Omid: "Don't worry, Christa is right, we always make it somehow, don't we?" He smiled.  
Clementine: "But not always all of us..."  
Christa: "Now we're only 3 persons, not much for the walkers to get, so none of us will die."  
Omid: "Yeah, we're like a little special unit, you know?"  
Clementine: "Special what?"  
Omid: "Those are the guys that do special, dangerous missions in small teams, and arrest dangerous  
criminals."  
Clementine: "Oh... like on tv?"  
Omid: "Yeah, just like that, but back to my question girls, what kind of shelter could we  
possibly find out here?"  
Christa: "Caves, or... maybe..." Her words were cut off by Clementine.  
Clementine: "There, there's light!" She pointed up a hill with her finger, it still had the bandage from  
the drugstore.  
Omid: "Well... that... let's go there."

After 5 minutes of climbing that little hill they finally arrived on the porch of a small,  
wooden shack, Omid drew his gun with his right hand, ready to shoot whatever would be dangerous,  
as his left hand moved on the door knob.  
Omid: "locked..."  
Christa: "Seems like a hunter's shack..."  
Omid: "Yeah, but... where do we get the keys?"  
Christa: "We don't, we just kick in the door."  
Omid: "No, that would be foolish, because then we couldn't lock the door, and walkers could just stroll in."  
Christa: "Then what?"  
Omid: "Anyone got a screwdriver, or lock picks or..."  
Clementine: "I've got a hairgrip!"  
Omid: "Show me please."  
Clementine showed it to him, it was small, thin and made of metal, just like a lockpick.  
Omid: "Yeah, that's great, I saw a documentary about lock picking once. I might need some time though."

After 5 minutes he drew the conclusion that he needed two.  
Omid: "Clem, honey, got another one?"  
Clementine: "N'uh-uh" she shook her head.  
Omid: "Mind if I break this one in half then?"  
Clementine: "Uhm... why would you do that?"  
Omid: "Because I need two, and if we don't have another one, that's the only way."  
Clementine: "Well... I guess not, go ahead."  
Omid: "Thanks and sorry, we'll find a replacement or fix this one I promise."  
Clementine knew, that no matter what she said, they needed to do it, but she appreciated Omid asking,  
she knew, she was considered a full group member by them now.

After 2 more minutes it was done, luckily it was a rusty, old lock and not a modern one.

As they entered the house they saw the hunter, he laid in the corner with his face chewed off, but he  
managed to kill the walker with his rifle before dying. It was an old Mosin Nagant, this rifle served in the first  
and second world war. It was reliable but the issue  
about it was, that it only could hold 5 rounds, one was fired already.  
Omid: "Poor bastard..."  
Clementine: "S..." She bit on her tongue, she didn't want to annoy with her childish "Swear."  
Christa: "At least we got another weapon now."

There was one big metal locker on the left side of the back wall, it was locked though, there were shelves  
on the left side on the room, filled with food and supplies, they weren't full, but there was quite some stuff.  
On the right side there was a bed, a small one, for 1 person.  
Next to it was a backpack.

Omid: "What's in that locker?"  
Christa: "Something worthy of being locked away."  
Omid: "We need to haul out those corpses anyways, might as well loot them for keys."

Omid walked over to the dead hunter and looked into his pockets, there were 3 Keys, he took all of them.  
Omid: "3? Door, locker, and... something else, should definitely hold onto that, Christa help me dragging  
those guys out."

Said and done, the room was clear of dead bodies now.

Omid: "Ok, now to that locker..."  
Omid tried to put in the first key, but it didn't fit in, he tried the next one and it did.  
He slowly opened that door, and there were more guns inside.  
A .44 magnum raging bull revolver, an Ithaca M37 pump shotgun, and a 9mm Browning  
Hi-power pistol. It also contained a bag to carry guns, and several holsters.  
Omid: "Seems like we're lucky for once."  
Christa: "Luck? Never met that guy before, nice to meet you, luck.

Omid: "Okay Clem, I promised I'll give you your pistol back, here you go." He gave Clem her Glock back.  
Clementine: "Thanks, for taking care of it."  
Omid: "I promised, didn't I?" He smiled "Don't shoot unless it's necessary or I tell you too, alright?"  
Clementine: "Yes."  
Omid: "Christa, honey, I think you should take this." He gave her the 9mm pistol and the shotgun.  
Christa: "Okay."  
Omid took the revolver and the rifle for himself, since he was the strongest one of them he would be able to  
deal better with the recoil.  
Omid: "Oh girls, before I forget here take those holsters, It'll make carrying guns easier."  
He dealt out the holsters and took two for himself, one on the back for the rifle, one around the hip for the revolver.

Christa: "This guy here must have been a real gun nut."  
Omid: "Yeah, but that comes in handy for us."  
Christa: "Hon' look there, there are some knifes, we might need them for close combat."

Omid: "You're right, even though we have guns now, we shouldn't be more likely to shoot them,  
we still need to be quiet and save ammo."

Omid observed the knifes on the table at the front side (door side) of the room.  
Omid: "I'll take that one, that should do fine." He picked a rather short knife.

Christa: "Then I'll take that one." She picked a knife of medium length.  
Clementine: "I'm taking this one" She grabbed for the biggest, but Christa grabbed her arm.  
Christa: "No, you don't, you don't go doing hand to hand combat, you stay behind."  
Omid: "She needs a knife too, but not this large one, she might be attacked from behind,  
and should have a fighting chance in such a case." He picked a medium one and gave it to her.  
Omid: "Well you know how to handle it?"  
Clementine: "Noooo..." she said shyly and shook her head.  
Omid: "You hold it there" He put her hands in the right position. "Hold it solid, you understand?"  
Clementine: "Yeah, I do."  
Omid: "And then raise your arms, and ram it into the head quickly, like that." He impersonated the  
movement, still holding her hands.  
Clementine nodded: "Okay..." She wasn't happy about the lesson, but she knew she would  
eventually have to do that one day.  
Omid: "And if one is laying on you, you do that." He repositioned her hands and showed  
her a cutting move. "That will irritate them, and then you ram the blade from beneath its head right  
into its throat, this blade is long enough to reach into the brain."  
Clementine: "Got it."  
Omid: "Really? Ain't that a little to much for now? We can have some extra lessons later

on, don't worry."  
Clementine: "Good... because I don't feel ready for it."  
Omid: "You'll figure it out soon enough."

The day was over, and they needed sleep urgently, they locked up the door and left the bed for  
Clementine, Omid kept watch and let Christa get some sleep, luckily they brought their sleeping bags from the train.

So once in a while even our survivors had luck, but how long would it last?  
They had a little shack up a hill filled with some supplies and they had guns, but  
how long until this place would fall just like the old travelier motel?  
Future would show.

_Overview: 26x 9mm rounds, 13 in Clem's Glock,  
13 in Christa's Browning HP, 8x buck shots in  
the Shotgun, 4x rifle rounds in the rifle, and  
6x .44 Magnum rounds in the revolver.  
Not too much, but not enough to start wasting._

**Author's note:  
Thanks for reading once again!**

**This one was very focused on talking,  
I hope you like it that way, because I  
think conversations and explorations  
are more interesting that action, though  
action will appear too of course.  
Now our survivor group has a base, where  
they can stay for a few chapters... or not?  
Who knows...**


	7. Where to? Where for?

Where to? Where for?

They had found a safe place, but it was fragile, just like every other "safe" place  
in this world you couldn't rely on seemingly safety.  
When this place would fall, just like the drugstore, like the Travelier Motel, like the  
manor, and last the train did, they would have to move on. Every so called "safe-haven"  
would fall once humans would appear and claim them for themselves. Like Molly once  
said: "In the end... the dead always win." but she also said: "It doesn't take much to  
outsmart the dead." That was the key, to keep moving, and keep the crawlies off of you,  
but how? That was up to our survivors to figure out if they wanted to survive, but did they?  
Where for? Live to die another day? That didn't sound too appealing, wasn't it easier to just  
get it over with right now right there? No, something in them kept them going, even  
though there really wasn't much to live for, it was foolish to assume that the walkers would...  
just disappear, they had to fight them, or to live with them, to learn to avoid them.

_Lee: "How are you holding up sweet pea?"  
Clementine: "Leeeeee... I..."  
Lee: "Sssshhhhh... it's okay girl... it's okay." He hugged her.  
Of course it was just a dream, and it felt surreal. But she felt his warmth, like  
their last hug was just yesterday, though it felt like a lifetime ago if she would think back.  
Clementine: "I... I miss you..."  
Lee: "It's okay... it's okay... I miss you too..."  
Clementine: "Everything's just so... terrible..."  
Lee: "I know... things will be worse, but hey... you gotta be strong."  
Clementine: "Why do you always say that?"  
Lee: "Because I mean it... I know you can, you're smart, they're not, you're smarter than ALL of 'em."  
Clementine: "But... I'm little... if one grabs me..."  
Lee: "...you'll outsmart him, I'll always be watching you, and I won't let one of those fuckers get you, you hear me?"  
Clementine: "Yes... swear." She smiled a little, in the dream, and also in the real world.  
Lee smiled back... the dream ended._

She pretended to be strong, but the truth was that everything burdened her, she could  
barely take any more emotional pain, she tried not to cry, and not to talk about Lee or  
her parents, and neither she wanted to think about them, because weakness was the thing, that  
would get you killed. But in the nights she cried, quietly, like back at the motel, she didn't want anybody  
to see, hear or notice in any way.

She woke up and looked around.  
Clementine: "Hello? Where are you all?" _"Oh noooo..." she thought._  
She reached for her gun and took it, she slowly approached the door.  
With her right hand she aimed, and with the left one she reached for the door handle.  
She slowly opened it and took a step outside.  
Omid: "Seems the fucker wasn't so dead after all, huh?"  
Christa: "Yeah, poor guy just died before we arrived, could've been an useful ally."  
Omid: "Yeah..."  
Christa: "How could we be so stupid and forget about the fact, that we have to destroy the brain?"  
Omid: "Lord knows we were tired..."  
Clementine was happy as hell to see those two being alright.  
Clementine: "Good morning." She said with a neutral voice.  
Omid: "Hey there, good morning, sweetie." He grinned.  
Christa: "Good morning, Clem!" She smiled.  
Omid: "Slept good?"

Clementine: "It was okay." She smiled back.  
Omid: "The least thing you deserved after all the sh... things you went through."  
Clementine: "How long can we stay here? I like the forest and the trees, It's beautiful. And the house is comfy."  
She cheered a little.  
Omid: "Well... not for too long, I'm sorry, but if we stay too long, this place is gonna get us killed."  
Christa. "Now hold on a minute, how comes you think that?"  
Omid: "I had some conversations with Lee, Kenny and Ben, look, they said, where ever they used to stay,  
the walkers soon had overrun the place, we need to be smart, we don't know how many of them are in  
those woods, and how long it takes for them to notice us,  
so we spend some days exploring the ground and get the... and get away."  
Christa: "Oh yeah? Where to?"  
Omid: "I don't know, one thing is for sure... we can't stay.  
Christa: "W... well we can still rest for some days, can't we?" She sounded desperate.  
Omid: "If we keep our voices down, and I mean it. Once one shouts we can start gathering our stuff and move on."  
Christa: "By foot?"  
Omid: "Any other option?"  
Christa: "Find fuel for the train...?"  
Omid: "Nah... it needs more than we could possibly carry, but you know what we could do?"  
Christa: "Tell me."  
Omid: "Find a car, there must be villages or something nearby..."  
Christa: "Oh no..."

Omid: "Yeah it's dangerous, but we'll make it."  
Clementine: "It gets cold out here..."  
Omid: "Winter is about to begin, we need warm clothes, so there are 2 reasons to go  
looking for villages now.

Even back at the motor inn they worried about winter, and now it got closer and closer, as  
if surviving in an apocalypse wouldn't be tough enough, but now they had to deal with low temperatures.

Omid: "First things, first... I'll go exploring the environment."  
Christa: "You mean... _we_ right?"  
Omid: "I would've said we, if I meant it, look hon' it's too dangerous for you girls. Stay  
and play with Clementine, I love you Christa, you know that, right?  
Christa: "Yeah I do, I love you too."  
Omid went over to Clementine.  
Omid: "Okay, I'll be going now, keep an eye on Christa, would you? He winked.  
Clementine smiled.

Omid went down the hill and into the forest, it was early in the morning and the shadows made it difficult to  
see in the woods. He went south (without knowing, they had no compass). He had his rifle and revolver with him.  
His face had a very strained expression, and he was thinking while walking all alone in a foreign forest.

After 50 Minutes of walking straight on, he heard a metallic "clicking."  
He turned his hear around nervously and quickly scanned the area for menaces.  
Strange voice: "Hold it right there." He had a strange accent and a deep voice.  
Omid: "Okay... no problem, I ain't a bad man, just... some fella looking for supplies."  
Strange voice: "We see about that, put your hands behind head, go!" the pronunciation was very... Arab, or Russian.  
Omid did what he was told to do.  
Strange voice: "Oke, what for you have so many guns?"  
Omid: "Are you fucking kidding me? Take a goddamn look around, there are fucking  
creeps around every corner,... no offense." Of course he meant the walkers, but he let it sound like he was talking to the  
stranger too.  
Strange voice: "Very funny, moron. Who are you?"

Omid: "I'm Omid and you?"  
Strange voice: "The man, asking the question here, but to you I'm Andrei."  
Omid: "Okay..., what are you going to do now?"  
Andrei: "Find out if you're worth killing or not, so you say you're good guy?"  
Omid: "Yeah... a normal guy at least."  
Andrei: "Spilled blood yet?"  
Omid: "Yeah, walker blood."  
Andrei: "Is that so...? Tell me, what makes you -good- ?"  
Omid: "I don't point guns at random people..."  
Andrei: "But you're quite an asshole..."  
Omid: "Damn my arms hurt, can we cut this crap? What do you want to hear from me? I try to keep my pregnant girlfriend  
alive, and a little 9 year old orphan, if I haven't earned a place in heaven for that, then I don't fucking know what to say!"  
Andrei: "Look... I am sorry, but I can't take any chances, in your position you must understand that, okay I put away gun."  
He lowered his gun.  
Omid: "Thanks, so let's start from scratch, hey I'm Omid." He stretched out his hand, waiting for a hand shake.  
Andrei: "Hey, I'm Andrei" He shook Omid's hand "Nice to meet you." He was a middle aged guy, with black hair, a mustache  
and of course a beard, his body was in good shape.  
Omid: "Have you seen a village nearby?"  
Andrei: "No... but I know one, it's 70 minutes away from here.  
Omid: "Okay, are you alone out here?"  
Andrei: "Yes... my group was... you know..."  
Omid: "Yeah I do... so many good people have died."  
Andrei: "No need to tell me..."  
Omid: "Okay, Iead me to the village."

Meanwhile at the shack.  
Clementine: "Will Omid be okay?"  
Christa: "Yeah, sure." She tried to reassure Clementine, but she wasn't so sure herself.  
Clementine: "I hope so, I don't want to lose Omid."

Christa: "Me neither..."  
Clementine: "What happened to Kenny and Ben?"  
Christa: "They didn't make it, sorry."  
Clementine: "Oh... but how?"  
Christa: "Ben... fell from a balcony, and... Kenny went down to save him, but...  
there was no saving him. We don't know what happened to Kenny, not even Lee saw it, but he's probably... in a better place now.  
Clementine: "Oh... good to know." She looked sad. "Ben was my friend..."  
Christa: "I know, he came with us to go looking for you, he really wanted to save you, he was a good friend."

Clementine went back to drawing and Christa watched out for walkers.  
Omid talked to Andrei about what happened to them the last few days.  
There was no trust between them, but they couldn't just shoot each other, they had to  
try and work together, the more, the better, those words never were as true as now.

**Author's note:  
This chapter was a teasing chapter  
for the next one, and that one will  
contain some action, I promise.  
Who is this new guy? Just a fellow  
survivor? Is he trustworthy?  
Once again: future will show.  
Oh and before I forget: Thanks for  
reading! By the way, if you're planing  
on further reading my story I'd sure  
appreciate followers. :D  
Oh and by the way: I'll be busy the  
next at least 3 days, so during that  
time I won't be able to update,  
sorry.  
**


	8. Things can escalate quickly

Things can escalate quickly

Decisions – Whether you turn right or left, whether you pick the handgun or the revolver,  
whether you wear a jacket or not, it could be your very last decision, if Lee had worn a  
jacket when the walker jumped him, he'd be alive, if our group took another way Duck,  
Katjaa and so many more might be alive, if they hadn't visited the dairy, the bandits might  
not have noticed them.  
So many "ifs"it's kind of sad, one, only one wrong decision could start a chain reaction of shit,  
and for that theory, our survivor group was the living proof.

Omid and Andrei were walking towards the small village they talked about earlier, as  
they saw a burnt sign, probably torched.

Omid: "How was this village called?"  
Andrei: "I don't remember, been here once only, and you Americans use weird names for villages."  
Omid: "Uhhhh... okay..."

There was a disturbing silence in the air between the both of them, they didn't trust each other,  
would this eventually turn out to be a problem?

_Omid: "I can't bring this guy to Christa and Clementine, without finding out more about him,  
he might be dangerous, he seems too weird to trust right away... gotta stay sharp..., hopefully he's  
legit, one more guy, capable of handling a gun, that's just what we need, we've got a lucky streak,  
so god... please don't let us down..."_

They continued talking while approaching the village.  
Andrei: "So,... how's it going? … I mean back where your people are..."  
Omid: "It's..." He sighed "It's one hell of a challenge, I tell you..."  
Andrei: "No need to tell me, I've been through a lot... this world, it's nothing com...  
I forgot the word for it... uhhh..."  
Omid: "What word?"  
Andrei: "This world is nothing com-something to what it used to be..."  
Omid: "Oh, you mean **compared**"  
Andrei: "Yeah... that's it, things have changed... walking through streets,  
go to shopping and... you know... and now we are fighting like fucking animals..."  
Omid: "Yeah..."  
Andrei: "In the beginning god made the rules..., then he created animals, now  
they made the rules, you know survival of the fittest and the food chain and all  
that stuff, then the human beings occurred, we made the new rules, and what's  
there now? Those fucking corpses hunting us like... like... vicious dogs."  
Omid: "Never thought about it that way, somewhat poetic..."  
Andrei: "Our reign has ended... like the dinosaurs were extinguished, we will be  
too, but we should at least try... and... a-and... continue as long as we somehow can."  
Omid: "Yeah, you're right, we won't make it easy for them to get us."

Now they arrived at the outskirt of the village.  
Omid: "We ain't just gonna walk in there, start shooting, I suppose?"  
Andrei: "No, we search for hill, then we climb up, and scan the area."  
Omid: "Good plan, got experience with that?"  
Andrei: "I've been in the Spezianlnoje Naznatschenje, back in Russia, Speznaz,  
you call them."  
Omid: "No shit?"  
Andrei: "No shit."  
Omid: "I consider myself lucky to have such a guy on my side."  
Andrei: "You better should, they teach us stuff, man... that might just come  
in handy."  
Omid: "Well, then lets go looking for a good hill."

They looked around and scanned the area for hills.  
Omid: "That one is good." he pointed on a rather low hill.  
Andrei: "No, that's no good, it's too low, besides that, the flatter it is, the easier we'll  
have it, you know?"  
Omid: "Okay, that one then?" he pointed on a fairly high and flat hill.  
Andrei: "Yeah, should do it."

They climbed up the hill.  
Andrei: "Oke... we see... the church over there, when shit starts hitting the fan, we go  
there, it's good to defend."  
Omid: "Alright, what about clothing shops, cars, and... gun shops?"  
Andrei: "Well... I don't have any binoculars so... I can only guess, that building looks like  
**some** sort of store."  
Omid: "Fine, we'll check it out."  
Andrei: "Nice rifle you got there, mind if I borrow it? My father used to shoot such a rifle back  
in WWII."  
Omid: "Hmmm... let's make a deal, when it comes to shooting, I let you try it, but only one  
bullet, unless there is no need to shoot, I'll carry it, okay?"  
Andrei: "Fair enough."

They walked into the village. It was flooded with walkers.

Andrei: "We have to be quiet now, real, real quiet, we only have very few bullets, so attracting  
them is not optimal..."  
Omid: "So I figured."  
Andrei: "See those cars? We can use them as cover and move over to that corner over there."  
Omid: "What do we do, when we're at the corner?"  
Andrei: "We... move around it towards the store we spotted."  
Omid: "Seems... well, what else is there to do? Let's go."

They moved over to the parked cars on the right side of the street quickly and sneaked past  
the walkers on the left side, over to the corner at the end of the street.  
They turned in left.

Andrei: "Over there, the store, can you read anything?"  
Omid: "Looks like a general store... Might actually contain some weapons and clothíng."  
Andrei: "Now there are... _ras, dwa, tri,... (Russian for: one, two, three)_ too many walkers between  
us and the place, so... we need to distract them."  
Omid: "Back in Savannah we used the Church bells to do so."  
Andrei: "You were in Savannah?"  
Omid: "Uhm... yeah."  
Andrei: "How's the situation there, is everything...?" He had a sad look in his face.  
Omid: "...Sorry, no." His look was sad too.  
Andrei: "...Its... okay... figured so anyways." He said quietly.

They wanted to go to the church to distract the walkers, but their little conversation got them a little  
attraction, just enough to be noticed. Their chit-chat was interrupted by deep growls.

Omid: "Uh shit... give us a break." He sighed.  
Andrei: "Time to shoot I guess."  
Omid: "Alright, one bullet, here you go."

He handed Andrei his rifle. The man took it, and aimed for 3 walkers, approaching in a row.  
He pulled the trigger and the 7.62 bullet went through the 3 walker heads, they were rotten, so the  
bullet went through easier.  
Omid drew his revolver. He held it one-handed.

Andrei: "Thanks, brother." He gave Omid his rifle back, and he put it on his shoulder. Andrei got the gun  
out, that he used to threaten Omid back in the woods, a Jarygin Pja, the gun he used back in  
his Speznas times.  
Omid: "No problem, nice shot by the way, now let's get the hell into that store."  
Andrei nodded.

They approached the store quickly, and kicked in the door.  
Omid: "Warm clothes and guns, that's what we need."  
Andrei: "What size?"  
Omid: "Uhm... shit, just... 3 or more jackets of adult size, and some jackets and hoodies of kid size."  
Andrei: "I'll get to it."  
Omid: "Oh, there's ammo."  
He saw a little shelf with only some packages of ammunition left.  
Omid: "What ammo does this gun need?"  
Andrei: "Show me." He investigated the gun. ".44 Magnum, but seriously are you gonna pick what you  
take these days? Take whatever ammo there is."  
There was a package of 9mm ammo, a package of .12 gauge buck shots and half a package of .44 ammo.  
They'd count it later, once they'd be back in _a safe place_.

Andrei: "That stuff should do it, and I got some extra, look" He raised his hand with a teddy bear in it.  
Omid: "I'm sure she'll appreciate it." He smiled.  
Andrei smiled back.  
Omid: "Okay, is there some bag to carry this stuff?"  
Andrei: "No, but I got an idea..., see this tent there?" He pointed on a boxed tent. "We can use the tarpaulin  
to wrap all the stuff up, and find a rope to close it, and make it safe for transport."  
Omid: "There, there's a rope." He pointed on the wall behind them, it was hung on a large nail.  
Andrei: "You know what? I think Things will be alrigh..."

They heard knocks and punches against the windows and the door. The walkers had followed them, slowly.

Omid: "N'aaaah... come on. You wrap the stuff up, I'll take care of **them**."  
He drew his revolver once more, ready to shoot, whenever the windows would break, or the door would yield.  
Andrei: "You crazy? Step the hell back, they might fall on you!"  
_Omid: "SHIT!" he thought_. Luckily his brain was smart enough to do what he was told to right away. He stepped back,  
as the large shop window broke.  
2 walkers fell over. 3 were entering.  
Omid aimed for the 3 walkers entering, and gave them 3 straight head shots.  
2 more were entering, he aimed for the first head and shot, but he missed, he jumped back a little and aimed again.  
He gave another 2 clear head shots.  
Omid: "Are you done there?"  
Andrei: "Wait one minute, just gotta take the rope, and..."  
Now there was a little horde of walkers trying to breach through the shattered window.  
Omid instinctively pulled the trigger, but only heard a clicking sound.  
Omid: "Fuck..."  
Andrei: "I'm done, c'mon."

Andrei kicked in the back door and went out, having the self made bag on his back, it didn't fit through the door frame.  
Andrei: "Give it a go, would you?"  
Omid kicked against the bag and it went through.

The both of them were in a back yard now, they climbed the fence, and ran on the street.  
Omid: "Now to a car..."  
Andrei: "Can you get one started?"  
Omid: "No, I can't..."  
Andrei: "Then you keep watch."  
Omid: "My gun's empty, and the ammo is in the bag..."  
Andrei: "You gotta be... never mind, take mine." He threw his gun toward Omid.  
Omid: "Thanks, brother." He caught it.

Andrei opened the door with a thin piece of wire, then he was trying to get the car started.  
The horde was approaching, Omid would never have enough ammo to waste all of them, now they needed luck,  
was it on their side this time?

**Author's note:  
Hey, I'm back, and I hope you liked this  
chapter. What more is there to say?  
Oh yes, the most important thing there is:  
Thanks for reading, seriously, it's nice to  
see some people come back to actually  
read what I'm writing, that's quite a nice  
feeling, I must admit.  
Reviews, follows, and favs are appreciated.  
I'll try to update daily again, but sometimes  
it just doesn't work, like the past couple  
of days.**


	9. Let it snow

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Our group had no place to go, and the snowflakes were slowly floating down,  
none of them could tell whether it already was winter or not, because months didn't  
matter anymore. Clementine luckily had her hoodie, but that wasn't enough in a long shot,  
Christa had her jacket, it did alright too, for now at least.  
Omid and Andrei were still working on getting the stuff back to the shack.  
Andrei was still starting the car, while Omid was keeping those crawlies off, if they'd come to close.  
Omid: "C'mon, can't you do that faster?"  
Andrei: "No,... I'm working on it, shoot them if they come too close, but not if it's not necessary..."  
Omid: "Got it..."

There were approximately around 20 walkers approaching slowly, hopefully not more than 18, because  
when it came down to shooting, that's the amount of bullets they had left in the handgun, and the rifle  
was very useful for long range, they definitely didn't want to waste that.

Omid started shooting at the horde because some of them were too close.  
5 walkers dropped dead, luckily Omid didn't miss a single shot.  
Omid: "C'mon, c'mon, C'..."  
Andrei: "Got it, get the hell in!" he cut off Omid's words.  
It was a black 1999 Cadillac Escalade SUV, a very reliable car, they drove out of the  
village the way they entered, the snowflakes were generating a peaceful atmosphere,  
though it actually was everything except for peaceful out there, in the car they found some CDs and it  
looked like somebody already prepared for winter, Omid found a "Let it snow" CD.  
Omid: "Oh man... look what I got here!"  
Andrei: "And what would that be?"  
Omid: "This song... was always played on Christmas, back when I was a child, damn."  
He said that with a excited look in his face.  
Andrei: "So, let's play it, but keep the volume down."

Omid inserted the disc, and the song started.

_Oh the weather outside is so frightful  
but the fire is so delightful,  
Since we've got no place to go..._

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

_It doesn't show signs for stopping,  
and I brought some corn for popping,  
Lights are turned down to low..._

Let it snow, let it snow, and snow...

When we finally kiss good night,  
How I'll hate going out in the storm,  
But if you really hold me tight,  
All the way home, I'll be warm...

The fire is slowly dyin',  
And my dear we are still good-byein'  
As long as you love me so...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snoooow...

Omid wiped the tears in his eyes.  
Omid: ***sniff*** "uhhhhh... this song is so great... man..., where the hell did yesterday go..."  
Andrei: "Yeah... I feel you, I don't know what I'd give to go back to those times..."  
Omid: "At least I still got something left in this world..., I gotta fight for my girlfriend you know?"  
Andrei: "Yeah, and for your kid."  
Omid: "My both kids, Clementine is practically our daughter now too... her parents are... you know...  
for sure... there is not even the slightest doubt... poor girl, she saw her dead parents in one moment,  
and Lee, the man she was almost as close to, as she was to her parents, just died moments later..."  
Andrei: "Uhhhhh... can't imagine that..." He said with a look of disbelief and disgust on his face.  
Omid: "That's why I have to try my best and... be as much of a replacement as somehow possible,  
I don't want to die, not for my sake, but for my girls' sake, Christa and Clem, and my baby, they'll need me..."

Silence plagued the atmosphere for the next minutes until Omid breached the silence.  
Omid: "What are Russian special forces doing in a forest, in Georgia?"  
Andrei: "Nothing, I **was** in the Speznas, but that... is a long time ago, I didn't feel like doing that anymore,  
I wanted to get out of the country, into the land of opportunity, as you call it."  
Omid: "Had luck here?"  
Andrei: "Wouldn't call it luck, my life was alright, but that's about it, worked up as a... how do you call it...  
janitor, had a little house, because I saved some money back in Russia, but... you know... not much luck  
with women, and neither with kids... never got to be husband or father..."  
Omid: "I'm sorry..."  
Andrei: "Not your fault."  
Omid: "You know what?"  
Andrei: "Huh...?"  
Omid: "I didn't trust you at first, I mean you pointed a gun at me... and all, but now I see you are an OK guy,  
let me drive, I'll show you where my people stay."  
Andrei: "Okay, I'll pull over."

Said and done, they changed positions, and drove further on.

Andrei: "Hey..."  
Omid: "Yeah?"  
Andrei: "Thanks for those words, good to hear I got **one** friend left on this world."  
Omid: "I mean it."

After some time they finally arrived at the hill, where they used to stay.

Christa was happy to see a car, but pointed her gun at it,... precaution.  
Omid: "Let me get out first, that's my girlfriend."  
Christa: "Oh my god Omid it is you!" She said with a thankful tone in her voice.  
Omid: "Heeeeeeey baby!" He said happily. "I brought us an ally, come on out Andrei."  
Andrei exited the car: "_Privjet (Russian for: "Hello")_ My name is Andrei"  
Christa: "Hey, I'm Christa." She said that carefully.  
Omid: "It's alright, he can be trusted, had enough opportunities to shoot me, but he saved me instead."  
Christa: "Well, then... it's nice to meet you." She said nicely.  
Clementine ran up to Omid and hugged him.  
Clementine: "Hey Omid!" She was happy and excited what happened in the forest, she knew Omid would tell  
her later, that was the closest thing to tales those days.  
Omid: "Awwwww Heeeeey." He said with the same lucky voice he greeted Christa.  
Andrei: "Look, what we brought" He got out the self made bag.  
Christa: "What's in it?"  
Omid: "We'll show you inside."

They put the bag on the floor inside and unknotted the rope.  
The tarpaulin opened up.

Clementine: "Winter clothes!" She said excited.  
Christa: "Omid... you are the best."  
Omid: "That wouldn't have been possible, without our friend here" he pointed at Andrei.  
Christa: "Yeah the both of you are great."

Christa took out a brown winter jacket for herself, Omid took out a black one for himself,  
Andrei took out a leather jacket for himself, Clementine took out a pink hoodie, and a white winter jacket for herself,  
and a winter jeans, because the leggins alone, wouldn't keep her warm, she could keep the skirt on,  
but that wouldn't look good with jeans.

Clementine: "Thanks for the hoodie, b-but can I hold onto this one?" She asked, it had personal values.  
Omid knew, so he answered: "Sure, honey, but... we'll keep this one as well, okay?"  
Clementine: "Okay." She smiled.  
Clementine saw the teddy bear they brought her, she thought: _"I'm a little bit too old for that, but it's nice anyways"  
_she said: "Thanks for the teddy, it's nice" and smiled gently.

It was a little like Christmas, and they all felt that way, the bag, Santa's bag if you want it that way,  
laid down on the ground and they had gathered around it and sat down, they talked, laughed and smiled,  
felt a certain warmth inside, the clothes were taken out of the bag and everyone enjoyed them, like Christmas gifts.  
It reminded them of what things used to be, it was sad somehow, but nice and peaceful too, hopefully  
no walker would dare and interrupt this one, special evening.

It was time to eat, so they got out 4 cans of food, beans, noodles, ham, there were some old cooking pots and  
frying pans in the shack, and they had water left.  
So Christa decided to cook something out of those 4 cans over a campfire outside, a little tiny Christmas feast.

Once the fire was set up by the men, and the meal was cooked, they ate together, and after that the sun was  
about to sink into those golden hills of Georgia, and end the day once more, there wasn't much they could do now,  
they'd have time for talking the next day, it was more important to get some rest and sleep, so the last thing there was to do,  
was splitting up the shifts for the watch, someone had to do it...

They decided that Christa would do it this night, because Omid has done it last night, and Andrei spent days of surviving in the forest,  
without sleeping.

_Overview: 39x 9mm rounds + an unopened package 13 in each 9mm gun,  
an unopened package of .44 Magnum rounds and an empty revolver,  
a shotgun with 8x buckshots, and an unopened package of buckshots,  
and 3x 7.62 rounds in the rifle._

**Author's note:**  
**Thanks for reading once more, hopefully**  
**you like the way the village played out, I**  
**didn't feel like killing off anyone yet, though**  
**Andrei was originally planned to be killed off,**  
**then I figured that's... too... cheap, to introduce  
someone, and kill him off right away.  
For now it seems like our group has quite a lucky  
streak, but as the twd universe teaches us each time...  
It could end any time. Hopefully you'll be there  
on the next chapter.**


	10. Clementine Croft

Clementine Croft

It is said, that every action, has its consequences, now more than ever,  
before you do something, you better be aware of those consequences,  
in the heat of the moment, thinking might not always be an option,  
like it wasn't back in the village, when they took a car, and a 1999's car's  
engine is not exactly quiet or discrete, it draws attention.  
Attention was something you didn't want those days, because it most likely meant problems.

Our group has rested the last night, it was a welcome change, they went out,  
did something, got back, and got their fair share of rest for the night, why couldn't  
it always be like that?  
Clementine's psychological condition got better and better every day she wasn't confronted with death,  
Omid got used to violence and survival more and more,  
Andrei was happy to have a warm place to stay,  
and Christa was getting used to be a mother figure.

Once in a while things could be peaceful, one could think it might actually stay this way,  
our group – better say Omid knew better, he was a smart guy, he knew, that this place  
wouldn't guarantee protection for too long, they had to keep moving or fortify this place.  
The last thing was not an actual option, since that would cause them more problems than  
it'd solve. The best place to stay would be a castle high up in the skies, and well... how likely  
is it to stumble upon such a thing?

Clementine woke up once more, she wiped through her eyes with her hands, and looked around,  
her "D" cap was laying on the table at the door side of the room, she went over and put it on  
her curly head. Omid and Andrei were sleeping in their sleeping bags, and Christa slept in on  
the chair she was supposed to keep watch outside, Clementine checked on her waist, and remembered,  
that she never slept with her gun, so she looked for it, as the location came back to her mind.  
It was under her bed, she took it out, and put it in her new jeans pants, just as Lee always carried his gun.  
She went towards the door and opened it slowly, so she wouldn't wake anyone up.  
Now that she was outside to originally check on Christa, she felt curiosity and decided to check on the forest  
on down the hill. She just wanted to collect some flowers and maybe find some interesting rocks close by,  
but once she arrived down at the first tree, she suddenly felt the desire of going further in, of exploring.

_Clementine: "I'll just go... there a little further, I'll be back before anyone realizes I'm gone." She thought._

After some time Omid woke up, to find Clementine's bed empty.  
_Omid: "She must be outside with Christa..." He thought, not knowing where she actually was._  
He saw Andrei sleeping, but didn't want to wake him up unless he was needed, he noticed, that the door was opened,  
Christa would've closed it, it was damn cold out there, and she would want everyone to feel warm and comfy inside.  
Now that he was outside he couldn't believe his eyes, Christa was sleeping on watch, but he wasn't too mad at her,  
no he combined "Clementine not in bed, neither in house" with "Christa outside, sleeping" in his mind,  
and figured that where ever she was, he wouldn't like it.

Omid: "Christa, honey, we've got **some** fucking problem!"  
Christa woke up with a dizzy, sleepy look in her face.  
Christa: "What's it this time?" She asked, afraid of the answer.  
Omid: "Clementine is gone!"  
Christa: "Oh... my... no, NO, have you checked the whole house?"  
Omid: "Look at that thing, you really think I could not see her in there?  
No, it's serious, wait, I know something..."

Omid ran in the house to look under the bed, and noticed the missing gun,  
he saw her putting it there, now he knew she wasn't napped, but she ran off, for whatever reason.  
Omid: "Her gun is missing too."  
Christa: "So she's got something to protect herself..."  
Omid: "Hopefully when it comes down to... I don't want to imagine what, she'll be able to use it..."  
Andrei woke up, and wondered what the rumor was about.  
Andrei: "Something wrong?"  
Omid: "Clementine ran off!" He said with a desperate voice.  
Andrei: "Let's strap up and go looking for her."  
Omid: "Strap up? Dude where'd you get that from? Never mind..."

They got their guns and stepped outside.  
Omid: "Where the actual fuck are we supposed to look for her?"  
Andrei: "That'll be an easy one, see the snow? We just need to look for footprints..."  
Omid: "Yeah, makes sense,... let's go."

Clementine was in the very depths of the forest, the sun barely came through the trees,  
but it was beautiful, lots of snow, like back in the days when everything was normal,  
she remembered her early childhood, in fact last year, when she went to the park with  
her dad and they played in the snow, built snowmen and castles of snow, all kinds of stuff.  
The laughter of the people in the park, the hot chocolate's smell, the cars' sounds, the lights in the  
streets, in the evenings, when she already was supposed to sleep, but she and her dad had forgotten time  
once more, when life was easy. Back then she thought school was a pain in the ass (not exactly with those words...)  
but now, she was living in such a world, this world of course had its nice things too, but they were so scarce,  
that you could barely name 3 positive things without thinking. The snow was a memento of a time gone by,  
of a whole different era, one that has ended once and for all, and she played with it, in loving memory of this easier,  
better, happier era, her childhood. This world had forced her to grow up with nine years, of course she was still childish,  
but that trait was more and more forced in the background, she was a child deep inside, but now she was considered a living person,  
like an adult. Like a smart hobo once said: "The walkers don't care, you're not a girl, or a boy, you're not little, you are **alive**."

There was something in the air, something melancholic, but at the same time happy, it was weird,  
like when you think of passed family members, or good friends, you remember the good times and they cheer you up a little,  
but in the very next moment, you remember what you've lost, and that is a feeling, that only those who felt it could possibly understand.  
It feels like something deep inside you is not where it belongs, like a piece of your heart or soul is missing, hard and barely possible to describe.

A single, lonely tear ran down Clem's cheek, as her depression was interrupted by a deep growl. One single walker approached her slowly,  
she was frightened at first, but took all her courage together, got out her gun, and looked down the sights.  
_Lee: "Take a deep breath... and slowly squeeze the trigger, nice and easy, sweet pea." She remembered his voice in her head, this was the advice Lee gave her,  
when it came down to shooting. It encouraged her._

She took a deep breath, held her hands steady, slowly squeezed the trigger, and finally shot the walker.  
It was a tall white man, or it used to be a tall, white man, with brownish hair, he looked like the random  
type of guy, a little like the stranger who caused Lee's death.

He walked towards him, her whole body was shaking, and she looked him in the face.  
She noticed the resemblance to the stranger, and that made her angry, she felt a real anger inside,  
a flame that has shrunken to burning ash the last few days, suddenly started to burn, like a phoenix rising from the ashes,  
the expression in her face was nothing compared to what we've seen before, in the very depths of her soul,  
a flame of hatred was buried beyond sadness and despair, and now this flame was kindled, it made her snap.  
Her left hand yielded from the gun, and clenched a fist, in the very same moment her finger on the right hand pulled the trigger,  
and another shot was fired in the head of the now certainly dead walker. It hadn't made her feel better, but she took another shot,  
and another, and another, and started crying, she sank down on her knees and dropped the gun. She pinched her eyes together  
and looked in the sky. "Why!?" She exhaled the word.  
Now her head looked to the ground and she held her hands in front of her eyes to cover them, and to wipe the tears.

Omid and Andrei heard the shot and ran towards it, they wondered what happened there,  
when they arrived and found Clementine crying on the ground, next to a dead walker.  
Omid didn't even ask, and ran over to her, to hug her.  
Omid: "Shhhhh shhhh... it's okay, it's okay..."  
Andrei didn't understand anything, neither did Omid, but it was not the time to ask questions.  
They needed to go, since the gunshots would cause them more trouble.  
Omid knew that there was no way Clementine would be able to walk herself,  
so he grabbed her under the arms and put her on his left shoulder, then he used his left arm to hold her legs.  
With his right hand he grabbed her gun, luckily he noticed it laying on the ground.  
They were headed back to the shack, because Christa sure was worried, and they didn't  
want her to run off too, as they heard gunshots from there.

Omid: "What the?"  
Andrei: "I'll run there, you take care of the kid!"

The both of them started running, of course Andrei was faster, because Omid was carrying  
an additional 50 pounds.

Andrei arrived at the shack and saw walkers trying to reach the shack, one dropped after another.  
Uncountable shots were fired. Christa was fending off one wave after another.  
Seems like something attracted them, probably the car.  
Andrei took out his gun too and gave 3 head shots on his way up the hill.  
He was now standing back to back with Christa.  
Christa: "Where are Omid and Clem? Are they..." She had a sad, and desperate tone in her voice.  
Andrei: "No!" He cut off her words. "They're alright, Omid is carrying the girl here, she was crying."  
Christa: "Oh thank god...!" She exhaled in relief.  
They shot down one walker after another, as Christa's gun made a clicking sound.  
Christa: "Fuck!"  
Andrei: "_Bladj!" (Something that Russians say when Americans would say "fuck" or "shit")_  
Christa: "What?"  
Andrei: "Never mind..., take this." He gave his gun to Christa. "Seven rounds left."  
He took a little .38 special revolver from the side of his ankle, it was stuck in the sock, like in those agent movies.  
This revolver was used by the us cops back in the days, when Al Capone and his mob were terrorizing Chicago,  
when Bonnie and Clyde were on their path of chaos, and when Lucky Luciano bothered New York, another token  
of a time gone by.  
They continued shooting,  
until their last bullet was fired,  
there was one more walker, and Christa quickly grabbed her knife and went upon him to ram it into his brains.

It was over – for now.

**Author's note:  
Yup, it is over for now,  
see you guys tomorrow?  
- oh by the way: sorry I was  
****only able to update that late,  
but my laptop is currently  
plagued by a nasty nasty virus,  
so I was trying to get rid of it,  
hasn't worked out yet of course,  
so I'm using my dad's notebook  
for now, I'll be fighting that  
nasty piece of software till the  
bloody end, just like our survivor  
group will fight the walkers!  
What do you think of this episode?  
I put an extra portion of effort into  
this one, if there's anything you  
don't like, and want to let me know,  
you know how to do that...!  
Thanks for reading!**


	11. Hit the road, Jack

Hit the road, Jack!

Another bastion of the living has fallen, it had sentimental value to the human race,  
one of the probably last sanctuaries on this planet has fallen, even though it was just a little shack,  
it was a place, where humans could live the way they used to. Were the walkers a capriciousness of the nature?  
Or were they the precursors of a whole new age? No one had an answer to that, neither anyone had time  
to even think about such questions, for the human race it didn't matter anyways. Whatever they were,  
they wanted to outnumber the humans. Or didn't they? Walkers weren't capable of thinking, there is  
no complex meaning to them, the only thing they can do, and the only thing their brain can handle is survival,  
nothing more, nothing less, they are animals caught in human bodies, and that can be seen by how they behave.

Omid ran through the woods with Clementine on his left shoulder, he didn't know what was happening back at the shack,  
but the gunshots had stopped. That's nothing good these days, since gunshots meant, that there is someone _alive_.  
Omid was worried, but couldn't help it, he couldn't run faster, neither he could leave Clementine behind.

After the probably 5 longest minutes of his live, he finally arrived at the shack to see an incredible amount of dead walkers,  
and Christa and Andrei dragging them, and piling them up.

Omid: "Oh thank god you're alive!"  
Christa came running and hugged Omid, with Clementine still on his shoulder.  
_Andrei: "Family reunion, huh." He thought, and grinned a little._  
Christa: "You're both fine!" She said with relief in her voice.  
Omid: "Yeah..." He sighed.  
Andrei: "I am truly sorry to interrupt, but this place is no good, and we should get going, now."  
Christa: "Woah, woah, woah, wait..."  
Omid: "He's right, we already talked about that." He cut off her words.  
Christa: "But..."  
Omid: "Listen-to-me, hon'. I **know** this is a great place for Clementine, it has a bed and all, and that it would be nice to have a home,  
but **trust** me. We can not hold this place, look at those walkers, when I left I counted somewhat less than 40 rounds in total, without the  
extra ammo packages. How many rounds do we have left? After this first, and so far only attack? Barely enough to fend them off  
once more – Sooner or later we'll be **forced** to leave, and we should leave while we still have ammo left. Do you trust me on this one?"  
Christa: "I-I... I guess so, yes... I trust you."  
Omid put Clementine back on her own feet, and knelt down in front of her.  
Omid: "I know this is a terrible time, and I know, that you like this place a lot, but as much as it breaks your heart, and mine, we have to leave."  
Clementine: "Yeah... I guess so..." She said sadly  
Omid: "You understand why this has to happen, don't you?"  
Clementine: "Uhm... yes, because if we stay, walkers will get us?" She said curiously.  
Omid: "Yes, and if we leave, that won't happen." He said with a reassuring tone in his voice.  
Clementine smiled, and Omid mumbled: "Not on my duty, it won't."  
Omid: "Now, everyone start gathering our stuff, and put it in the car."  
Andrei: "I'll go and reload the guns.

_Overview: 8x 9mm rounds in Clementine's Glock, 30x rounds in the 9mm ammo package,  
13x went into Christa's Browning HP (max. capacity) and 17 into Andrei's Jarygin,  
30x .44 Magnum rounds in the package from the village, 6x were put into Omid's revolver right away,  
3x rounds left in the rifle, and 8x buck shots left in the shotgun + 17 extra rounds in the package,  
since it wasn't full (3 bucks were missing)_.

Now everybody was working on getting the stuff into the car, so they could finally leave.  
Once everything was collected and nothing was forgotten they got into the car, Omid was  
the driver.  
Omid: "Where to?"  
Christa: "That's the million dollars question..."  
Andrei: "To the south or the west, since it's goddamn cold here."  
Clementine: "Back to Savannah, we could go looking for Molly."  
Christa: "Clem, sweetie..."  
Clementine: "I know..." She said disappointed.  
Omid: "Well we could stop at the train and get the stuff we left there..."  
Christa: "Ain't that a little risky?" She asked worried.  
Omid: "When worst comes to worst, we'll need everything we can get our hands on."  
Andrei: "What sorts of stuff have you left there?"  
Omid: "All the unhealthy stuff, chips, energy drinks, some cans of beer, because we  
couldn't take everything with us."  
Andrei: "It's not much, but as you said, when worst comes to worst, we'll need it."  
Christa: "Fine, we drive there, take the stuff, and get the hell away."  
Clementine: "Last time I forgot my note block and pencils there, can we get them?"  
Omid: "Sure." He smiled.  
Clementine smiled back.

After some time they finally arrived at the train and got their stuff, anything they could possibly need.  
Clementine got out of the car and climbed into the train, she looked around and found Chuck's old scissor,  
she picked it up.  
She looked at it intensively.  
_Lee: "Keep that hair short..."  
Clementine: "I'll cut it myself!"She remembered.  
_She sniffed and clenched her fist, with the scissor in her hand.  
Clementine: "We need this."  
Omid: "For what?"  
Clementine: "To cut our hair..."  
Omid: "Yeah right, well done." He said with a happy voice.  
She put it in her pants' right pocket.  
Andrei: "Okay, we've been here for too long, let's go."

They got back into the car and started following the road next to the train, it would lead them west.  
It was just noon but they drove until the night.

Christa: "Clem, honey, get some rest."  
Clementine: "I cant sleep in cars..."  
Christa: "Try at least OK?"  
Clementine: "OK."  
She closed her eyes and saw Lee again, those dreams never stopped but his face was more and more fading,  
she didn't see him for a long time now.  
_Lee: "Sweet pea, you're doing good."  
Clementine: "I'm s-scared..." She stuttered in the dream.  
Lee: "It'll pass, you won't be scared for ever, you can do this, you can survive, you hear me?"  
Clementine: "I don't know..."  
Lee: "I do, you remember back inside the jewelry store when I wanted to tell you something?"  
Clementine: "Yes, Lee..."  
Lee: "I wanted to say, that you're like a..." His words were cut off_ _by a sound._

It was dark by now, and as Omid drove, a red light suddenly appeared.  
He hit the break and pulled over, the breaks' sound woke Clementine up.  
It was a red road flare.  
Omid: "Where the..."  
Voice #1: "Shut the fuck up and put your hands behind your head, NOW!"  
Omid hesitated to follow the instructions.  
Andrei was on the seat next to him and whispered: "Slowly pass me your revolver."  
Omid reached for his revolver slowly, and gave it to Andrei.  
Omid: "Relax now." He didn't see a face, but felt a gun's barrel pressed to his forehead.  
Clementine was nervous, she was almost hyperventilating.  
Voice #1: "Shut up, and get the hell out."  
Omid: "Alright..."  
Omid got out of the car.  
Voice #1: "You there, one fucking move and I'll blast his head." He looked to Andrei.  
Andrei: "OK, I won't try anything."  
Another man walked over to Andrei's door and opened it.  
Andrei readied his gun so that the first man couldn't see it.  
As the door yielded, Andrei whispered: "Don't-say-a-single word boy. Listen to me carefully,  
you don't reach for your gun, and you don't let your partner know, or this sweet gun will make your head pop.  
Lay your left hand on the car, and your right on my neck, and carefully yield back. Christa, when I say the word _die_,  
you scream like you're being eaten alive okay?" He left the car and held the second man as a hostage.  
He raised the gun to the second man's temple and then slowly, but self-confidently pointed it on the first man.  
Andrei: "Okay, let my friend go, and nobody has to **die**."  
Christa: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrghhhhhhhh !"  
The man was distracted by the scream and looked at the car, in this very same moment Andrei pulled the trigger and killed him,  
then he pushed the second man towards the car, and slammed his head against the roof.  
Andrei: "Who are you sons of bitches?"  
Voice #2: "We... w... w- we're bandits..."  
Andrei: "Oh that's gotta be my lucky day, killed women or kids already?"  
Voice #2: "N-no..." He stuttered.  
Andrei: "_Kuzok hawno, bladj_ _(Russian for: "fucking piece of shit") _but you were ready to, huh?"  
Voice #2: "I-I..."  
Andrei: "Don't fucking lie to me, don't do that! I know your kind of people, people like you killed my wife and son!"  
He reached back with the revolver and hit the bandit in the face, over and over again, until his face was barely more than a bloody mess.  
The man could barely breathe.  
Omid: "Finish him off, he's got enough..." Omid said with a quiet and sad voice.  
Clementine asked Christa quietly: "Is Andrei... bad?" She hesitated to ask.  
Christa: "No, but the man he is hitting is a very, very bad man." She tried to reassure Clementine.  
Andrei: "Fucking scumbag deserved worse than this!"  
Omid: "I understad you..."  
Andrei: "**YOU DO?** Your girlfriend is alive, you've got two kids, none of them is dead, do you know how it is, to lose your complete family?"  
He shouted desperately and angry.  
Omid: "I..." Andrei could barely hear this answer.  
Andrei: "'course you don't..." He released the bandit, who then dropped to the ground.  
Andrei knelt down to him and asked: "Where is the rest of you?"  
Voice #2: "We were alon-" He coughed.  
Andrei: "Bullshit!"  
Voice #2: "I-It's the truth... I s-swear!" He said desperately.  
Andrei: "Then we have no more use for you, burn in hell..."  
Voice #2: "N-" His beg was cut off by a last smash in the face.  
Andrei: "He didn't deserve a gunshot..."  
Omid didn't believe what he saw, he knew the man was in special forces, but he didn't think he could solve a  
hostage situation that cold and fast.

Voice #3: "Alright you fuckers, you caused us quite some trouble here, everybody out of  
the car, and line up!"  
Voice #4: "Do, as the nice man asks you."  
Voice #5: "Yeah, our boss wants to see you guys."  
It were approximately around 10 or more bandits with heavy weaponry, they were facing.  
Andrei was still kneeling, and quickly hid the revolver in his sock, as good as he could,  
then slowly rose up.

Clementine: "Are we going to die now?" She was scared as she never has been before.  
Maybe except for the moment, when she saw her parents, but nothing could ever top that.

Omid: "Man, we got a kid, c'mon, we don't want any trouble..."  
Voice #3: "Too late for that after blasting our friends there!"  
Andrei: "Let us go, or you'll fucking regret it!" He said this, slowly, loud and clear.  
Omid: "_what now?" he whispered over to Andrei._  
Andrei: "_We don't resist, we go with them..." he whispered back._  
Omid: "Christa, Clem, get out of the car."  
Bandit #3 approached them, he seemed to lead the ambush.  
Omid went slowly upon him, as the bandit pointed a gun at Omid's forehead.  
Omid: "You hurt any of those girls, and I make damn sure **you** die, even if it means my death as well." He whispered.  
Voice #3: "Big words." He smiled.  
Voice #4: "Okay guys, put the blindfolds on them."

They were blindfolded and started to move, somewhere, in bad company.

**Author's note:  
Thanks once again for reading.  
So this one started with a cliffhanger,  
and ended with one. Now I'll bring  
something more interesting into this  
story, a hostage situation.  
How will they deal with this situation?  
There's only one way to find out! :)**


	12. Are those men going to kill us?

Are those men going to kill us?

Stale air, and a smell that could be described as an insult to anyone's nose.  
The place was like a crack den, you could smell it from miles, and nonetheless  
some people, bandits, actually stayed there, why ever...

Our survivors were in some serious trouble now, a huge amount of bandits was holding  
them hostage, if there was a way out, it wasn't obvious.  
They were blindfolded, so even if they would be able to escape, they wouldn't know  
where there car was, hopefully the snow wouldn't vanish, or if it would, that they'd send  
someone to get the car, because they'd probably need it too.

Voice #4: "Well, we're almost there, already wondering what'll happen to you?"  
Andrei: "No, are **you** wondering, what'll happen to you?"  
Voice #4: "Now I know what will be done with you fucker, we'll make you eat your own balls, how's that sound?"  
Andrei: "Like something, that you guys couldn't pull off."  
Voice #3: "Cut the crap back there!" (Bandit #3 lead the way, and seemed to be the leader  
of this whole ambush.)

After some more minutes of walking they were told to stop walking, they couldn't see anything, but heard a  
metallic scratch, probably a metal door. They entered some sort building, where it was just as cold as outside,  
and heard lots of voices laughing, and telling dirty sex jokes.

This place was not appealing and still they didn't knew what it was, so they could not even  
start thinking about breaking out.

They went trough a long hallway and suddenly stopped again, now they heard a door knob, and a door opening,  
so inside at least, there were no metal doors.

Voice #3: "You, knee down!" He poked Andrei.  
Yes, poking a raging lion was just the right idea, if he ever would be able to grab a gun, Andrei would raise hell in there.  
Voice #4: "The others, step back and go there, and get comfy."  
Bandit #3 took of Andrei's blindfold, and Bandit #4 took of the blindfolds of the rest.  
Clementine opened her eyes and saw a dirty, rusty, disgusting office, she closed her eyes  
and re-opened them to make sure this is no nightmare, but it wasn't, bad men with guns were looking at them, as if they  
would be eager to shoot them.  
She was scared to death, and if nobody would do anything quick, you could take that literally.  
Clementine: "Are those men going to kill us?" She started breathing fast, with her eyes  
wide open.  
Christa: "E... everything's gon' be alright..." She stuttered.  
Clementine: "Ch-Christa, O... Omiiiiiiiid."  
Omid: "Calm down honey, we'll make it somehow." He smiled over to her, though he  
was not so sure himself.

Bandit Boss: "So... you are the guy that killed 2 of our men? Got quite some balls I must admit." The man was tall,  
and had a little bit of overweight, his hair was a dark brown, almost black, and reached down to his shoulders,  
he had a mustache, like a Mexican, but no beard.  
Andrei: "How do you know?"  
Bandit Boss: "Our men use walkie-talkies."  
Andrei groaned.  
Bandit Boss: "Anything you want to say before we kill you, any last wish?"  
Omid whispered over to Clementine: "_Shhh, sweetie? Still have that scissor?_"  
(normal talk/ _whisper/ __**loud whispering/ **_**loud talking/shouting**)

Clementine whispered back to Omid: "_Y-yes._"  
Omid: "Can we talk to our friend, before you shoot him? Give this father the opportunity to tell his **daughter** goodbye... please."  
Bandit Boss: "We have the upper hand, so... yes, but make it quick."  
Andrei wondered, but played his part.  
Andrei: "Thank you."  
He went over and knelt down.  
Omid whispered: "_Listen, Clementine has a scissor with her, __**been like a brother to me, man,  
(he acted as if it was something personal)**__ she'll take them out slowly, then you take them and try to do something,  
__**remember back at the shack? **__Where's my revolver?"  
_Andrei: _"Clementine, __**my daughter,**__ in which pocket do you keep the scissor?"  
_Clementine: "_I-in the right one."  
_Andrei: "_Listen, I'm going to hug you, while I do so, you put your hand in your pocket, slowly and get it out, very,  
very slowly, so that none of them sees it coming."  
_Clementine nodded.  
Andrei:"_**Good girl.**__"_  
Andrei still denied the answer to Omid's question, he leaned forward to hug Clementine,

she slowly reached for the scissor in her right pocket, then slowly dragged it out, and Andrei took it, to hide it in his sleeve.  
He looked around and saw 2 bandits, and their boss in this room, the rest of them must be somewhere nearby.  
Bandit Boss: "Are you done?"  
_Andrei: "Fuck, too blunt to throw, I'll have to stab." He thought.  
_Andrei: "_If I don't make it..._ I want you people to know, that it was a good time with you, Omid, you're a good man,  
and Christa you're a very nice woman, and a nice shot, Clementine, you're the future of this world, kids those days,  
especially kids like you, are worth more than any gold or diamonds or... whatever, _run for the door once I start shooting in here._"

He rose up self confidently and went over to bandit #3, he was at the left side of the room, the boss at the back side,  
and another guard at the right side (door side), his friends were at the front side. He took out the scissor and rammed  
it into bandit #3's throat, then he turned him around to use him as a human shield. He reached for the bandit's gun at  
his waist, and shot the other guard in the head. The bandit boss took out a UZI. This gun was known from gangster movies,  
the big, rich, modern time gangster bosses always had such a gun.  
He started shooting at Andrei, the bullets tore the human shield's body apart and some of them went through.  
Omid jumped over to Clementine, and shielded her off the bullets with his own body, but luckily no shots got to them.  
Andrei: "Aaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhh, you son of a...!"  
His vision faded, he lost blood, his time was numbered, but he wanted to make sure the people he now cared about  
were safe, he dropped the human shield, and raised his arm, the bandit boss started shooting again, and before  
Andrei was hit, he fired one last bullet into this man's stomach. After some split seconds, they both dropped down,  
Andrei was dead already, no happy ending for him, no heroic last words, no... saying goodbye.  
The bandit boss was still living and breathing, but his gun didn't land near him, Omid jumped up and ran over to grab the UZI.  
Omid: **"You son of a bitch just couldn't let us go!"** He pulled the trigger, clean head shot.

Omid had now killed his first **man**, a weird feeling, even although he knew, this man deserved no better, in fact he  
deserved worse than a quick death. But this feeling of having killed somebody... It burnt into his soul,  
he could never forget this man's face, he could never be the same funny guy he used to be when he met our group,  
this one action, has changed him.

Suddenly the door was kicked in, Omid turned around quickly and started shooting,  
another 2 bandits dropped dead.  
Omid: **"Christa! Get my revolver, it's gotta be somewhere on Andrei, Clementine, stay back, keep your head down."**  
Christa and Clementine both just nodded, it was too much heat for them to handle,  
they needed a break, but there was no time.  
Christa went over to the revolver and picked it up.  
A shot was fired from outside the room and hit Christa, she dropped on the ground, but was still breathing,  
Omid didn't realize at first.  
Omid: **"NOOO!" **Something inside of him made him snap, his instinct has failed him, he has failed his girlfriend,  
she was shot (he thought), those assholes had taken her from him, but he could not, under no circumstances  
let revenge be too much of an option right now, he still had to take care of Clementine. He didn't hesitate to shoot the bandit.  
He ran over to Christa and was relieved to see her breathing, he then quickly dragged her into safety, next to the door,  
where he could keep an eye on her. He took the revolver himself and wielded it in his left hand, the UZI in his right.  
Omid: **"Clem, pick up the gun Andrei dropped, the bandit's gun, quick, then go to ****Christa and wait for me, shoot anyone who's not me!"**

Omid left the room, there was a long hallway in front of him, looked like a hospital, or school, or doctor's place, he couldn't tell.  
2 Bandits jumped around the corner, and he started shooting, he took the first one out with the revolver, the second one with  
the UZI. He had an expression in his face, that looked like all he wanted to do was kill, although that contradicted what he really  
wanted, peace, and rest, an easier life with those two people in the office, and hopefully all of them would make it out alive.  
He made his way to a medium sized metal door, hopefully the door they came in through. On the side of the hallway,  
there were rooms, but he didn't care to loot them, all he wanted to do now, was making sure there was nobody left, that could hurt his girls.  
He continued making his way towards this door, it was like Lee's march of death back in front of the Marsh House.  
On his way there he killed another approximately 15 bandits.

The building was clean now, and he ran towards the office.  
Omid: "It's okay Clem, it's me, Omid, don't shoot."  
He came in to see a shaking Clementine, and a bleeding Christa, the bullet hit her in the leg, almost hit the stomach.  
Omid: "Okay, I need bandages now..., she needs them... damn!"  
He left the room once more, and checked one room after another, nothing on the left side.  
Clementine ran into the hall.  
Clementine: "Can I help?"  
Omid: "**Jesus**, you scared me,... sure, help me checking those rooms."  
She went over to the first room, and Omid to the second one.  
She held her gun in her right, and slowly opened the door with her left hand.  
There was a weird, quiet sound, like...  
A walker reached for her, as he tripped and fell on her, he was about to bite, but she held him off with her gun, she had put the barrel in his mouth.  
She repeatedly pulled the trigger, but much to her disappointment she only heard a metallic clicking sound.  
Omid turned around and ran over to her, he dropped his UZI and grabbed the walker's  
throat with his right hand, pressed the revolver's trigger against his head (of course so, that the bullet wouldn't go through and hit Clementine).  
He pulled the trigger to hear a clicking sound too, he killed so many bandits, that the revolver was empty, the UZI was too.

What now? What could he do now?  
Omid: **"The scissor, Clem, go get it."**  
Because now the weight was on him, Clementine could slip out of her bad position beneath this walker. She ran into the office and saw the dead bandit guard.  
He still had the scissor stuck in his throat.  
It was definitely nothing a 9 year old little girl would want to see, but she knew this was necessary... those people had threatened **them**.  
She laid her hands on the scissor, pinched her eyes together, held them closed, and pulled it out.  
Clementine: "Eeeeeeeewwwww...!" She screamed.  
She ran over to Omid and gave him the scissor, he took it from her, and rammed it into the walker's head.

Omid: "You've done good." he sighed.  
Clementine: "I-... Is it over?" She asked, waiting for a reassuring answer.  
Omid: "Not unless Christa stops bleeding, but for the moment, yes, it's over."  
Clementine: "Good, I'm getting sick of this..."  
Omid: "Me too..."  
He hugged her. Tears ran down his' and her cheeks.

A sudden scream interrupted the nearly peaceful silence.  
Christa was screaming, as if it were for her life.  
Omid ran into the office to see the man, who earlier was stabbed in the **throat**, as a walker, his brain wasn't destroyed,  
so now he came back to life, his head was moving towards Christa's stomach fast, but Omid was quick to react, he kicked  
his head away.  
Omid: "Everything okay hon'?" He asked with an upset and surprised voice.  
Christa couldn't speak, she had lost much blood by now, she hadn't got enough power to talk, so she just nodded,  
with a very painful expression in her face.  
Clementine: **"OMID!" **  
Omid reached back with the scissor in his left hand, and rammed it into the head of the walker, that was rising up behind him,  
without turning around.  
Omid: "Those assholes are predictable."

Christa was heavily wounded, constantly losing blood, Omid was in a rage mode, Clementine was frightened, they didn't know  
where their car, in other words their supplies and most of their guns were, and they didn't know where the hell **they** were.  
Shit was really hitting the fan, and Omid was now responsible for his girls, there was no Andrei for advice or for backing him up,  
he was responsible, he alone was, nobody else.

**Author's note:  
Wow, I'm happy to see, that there are  
more follows and the first fav, thanks!  
That really means much to me.  
I don't have words for this chapter, do  
you? I don't know whether I like it or not,  
I really don't..., so it's up to you.  
Anyways, that's it for today, please be  
back for the next chapter, to see how  
this place plays out.  
I'm wondering... was this a little too much  
action? Do you like it this way, or do you  
prefer the emotional, talkative chapters?  
**** Thanks for reading!**

Important Note: I might not be able to  
submit a new chapter today, if it comes,  
it comes a little later. Sorry!  



	13. You can run on for a long time

You can run on for a long time

They finally found bandages, but Christa looked even more pale than before, she  
was about to bleed to death, and all Omid could do, was watching it happen, he  
would try to stop it, but what could he do about it?  
Was there much to do? Was there anything one man and a scared little girl could do?

He went over to her and knelt down.  
Omid: "Get me some water please..." He looked over to Clementine.  
She went into the hallway and approached another unopened door on the right side.  
This time she knew better, she moved her head close to the door, and harked if there  
was anyone inside, she heard groans. She put her left hand on the door knob, with her  
right she held her gun, ready to shoot. She turned the knob, stepped back and kicked the door in.  
Of course she hadn't got much power, but it stunned the walker inside for a second, and  
that little time she used to aim and put a sweet bullet into its head.  
She waited a few seconds, but there was nothing more.  
Frightened, she entered the room and scavenged it for water, luckily there was a bottle left.  
Christa's condition was on her mind all the way, but she had returned to the office.  
Clementine: "H-... here..." She handed the bottle over to Omid.  
Omid: "Thanks, we appreciate it." He poured a little bit of water over his hands and started cleaning  
the wound, since this office was dirty as hell.  
Christa released a scream of pain, as if she was being eaten alive.  
Once the wound was cleaned up, Omid started to putting the bandages on her.  
Her eyes closed, and her head sunk down, looking to the floor.  
Omid: "N...NO! Christa, honey!" He screamed. "C'mon, c'mon you gotta keep fighting!"  
He whispered desperately. Tears started running down his cheek.  
Clementine had tears in her eyes too, and hesitated to ask: "Is... is she...?"  
Omid: "... In a better place..." He looked down to the ground. "Honey, it's just you and me now...,  
I don't want you to see what has to happen now, please leave the room, I'll take care of this..."  
He barely spoke, but mostly cried. He stood up, walked over to Andrei's body and searched him for his Jarygin Pja,  
it had to be still loaded, he didn't use it in the gunfight.  
He picked it up and mumbled: "You've been a good man, rest in peace, brother..." He closed his eyes.

He pulled the slide of the gun, and went over to Christa, he raised his right arm, the one  
with the gun in the hand and intensively looked at Christa, still crying.  
Omid: "... I failed, I failed him, I failed you, I'll fail Clem, what is the point in this world...?  
I mean... we just live to die another day, why not end it now? Okay... I... I have to do this, now...  
sorry, but you know..." He was shaking as he pointed the gun at Christa, his finger slowly moved  
towards the trigger, and he was slowly pulling it.  
"OMID!" Christa screamed as she came back to consciousness, she wasn't dead yet, she  
just passed out, but Omid didn't know. Her scream scared him and it made him pull the trigger.  
Luckily his shaking made the shot so imprecise, that it missed her head.  
Omid: "Oh my fucking god, what was I doing!" He knelt down and hugged her.  
Christa: "Hon' (she coughed) you have to leave me behind, take care of her, I'm done, it's okay."  
Omid: "No, this is not happening, we are leaving this building **alive, together**.  
Christa: "Omid..."  
Omid: "**I don't wanna hear it, this ain't happening, you HEAR me!?"** His sadness  
turned into rage, he wasn't mad at Christa, but he unleashed his rage toward her.  
She wasn't mad at him though, she understood his feelings, because she shared them.

She stopped bleeding, that was a good thing, after all the bad things something good happened,  
and they hadn't have the proper supplies to celebrate it, they had to get outta there, walkers could  
be on them any minute, since gunshots and screams weren't exactly quiet or discrete.

Omid put her on his shoulders and carried her, like he used to carry Clementine back in the woods,  
but Christa just hung there like an old sack of potatoes, if they wouldn't find medicine soon, she would die,  
her baby wouldn't make it, even though they were so close to birth, and that was the reason she had to regain strength fast.  
Would she survive until the day of birth? Would she survive **the** day of birth? As far as Omid could tell, none of this would matter,  
if they didn't make it out of that building.

He left the office with Christa on his shoulders, and Clementine wondered what happened in there.  
Clementine: "Are we going to bury her?"  
Omid: "No... she's alive..." He said relieved, his words made him realize this happy fact.  
Clementine: "What are we going to do now? There... there's **thousands** of 'em outside!"  
Omid: "We'll figure it all out."  
Clementine: "No no no, we can't go out again, they'll get you, then they'll get me..."  
She started crying, but Omid put his right arm around her.  
Omid: "Shhhhh... it's okay... none of this will happen..."

They went towards the metal door, as it was breached by walkers, luckily both,  
Omid and Clementine had still got there guns, and started shooting at them, one dropped after another.  
Now that the exit was clear they left the building.

Omid: "There! Our car!" He pointed over to a small building.  
Clementine: "Let's go there!" She was exited to see this small ray of hope in this very dark room,  
called their situation. They entered the car and drove towards the sunrise.

_You can run on for a long time, run on... for a long time,  
__run on... for a long time, sooner or later God'll cut you down,  
sooner or later God'll cut you down...  
_

Go tell that long tongue liar,  
go and tell that midnight rider

_Tell the rambler, the gambler,  
the... back biter __  
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down __  
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down  
_

Well, my goodness gracious let me tell you the news

_My head's been wet with the midnight dew __  
I've been down on bended knee __  
Talkin' to the man from Galilee  
__He spoke to me in the voice so sweet __I thought,  
I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet __  
He called my name and my heart stood still __  
When he said, "John, go do my will"  
_

Go tell that long tongue liar,  
go and tell that midnight rider

_Tell the rambler, the gambler,  
the back biter __  
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down __  
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down_

_Well, you may throw your rock and hide your hand __  
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man __  
But as sure as God made black and white __  
What's down in the dark will be brought to the light  
__You can run on for a long time __  
Run on for a long time,  
run on... for a long time __  
Sooner or later God'll cut you down __  
Sooner or later... God'll cut you down _

**About updates: Hey, I haven't updated for  
a few days, that's because I'm still thinking  
and trying out how it could continue, or end  
I still am unsure about it, so please give me  
some time, by this weekend, there will be  
another chapter... promised!**

Author's note:  
Sorry for letting you wait so long and  
then coming up with such a short chapter,  
I know... I know... but I'm in a dilemma here...  
Things are coming to an end, and I don't know  
how to continue their trip while keeping it  
interesting for you guys, frankly:  
I need more time to think about how to  
continue the whole story, and btw. I'll rename this  
**story to: "Remnants Of An Old World", since there  
already is another story named "What Remains."  
And I'll maybe start another project, maybe on Fallout...  
anyways I'm intensively thinking if I should continue this  
story, or let it end... we'll probably find out in the next  
updates!  
Sorry once again, and thanks for reading!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights for "God's gonna cut you down"  
by Johnny Cash, all credits go to its respective owners!**


	14. End of the line

End of the line

They laid Christa in the back, and drove down the road. The car's fuel was slowly running  
out, as the sun was still rising. It was a little foggy, like in a classic horror movie, they had to prey,  
that this car would take them far enough now.

After some more minutes the fuel was all gone, and the car stopped, end of the line here.  
Omid hurried over to the back doors and took Christa back on his shoulders, Clementine  
got out her gun, still frightened, they had stopped counting bullets now, because right now  
saving bullets was the last thing they'd be concerned about, and in this world, that meant something.

They slowly walked down the road, towards nowhere, staring at the horizon, thinking if they'd make it.  
An unpleasantly feeling was in the air. Much had happened, but things were bad before, they'd handle it  
like they always did, they thought.

Clementine: "How is she?"  
Omid: "Not good, she might..." He swallowed.  
Clementine: "Oh..."  
Omid: "Listen if she does... you, eh... we... have to run..."  
Clementine: "We can't let her turn!"  
Omid: "We can't shoot her!"  
Clementine: "I didn't make sure Lee wouldn't turn, but I... I... I can do it now!" She was starting to cry again.  
Omid: "No, you can't, me neither... it's okay, it won't be her..." He stuttered.  
Clementine nodded slowly.

As always groans breached the silence, walkers were attracted by the engine, things were making a turn for the worse.  
They started to run, but Omid was far behind, Clementine turned around and yelled: "Faster! Faster!"  
Omid: "Run! I'll be okay!"  
He stumbled and Christa fell on the street, the walkers were coming from both sides, he took out his gun and started  
shooting them, but after some shots he only heard clicking sounds, the gun was empty, he flipped it around and started  
bashing their heads in, but they got a hold of him and took him down, Clem didn't see details, but had a decision to make,  
whether to help him and risk her live, or to run away,  
she heard the terrible screams of a probably dying man, and at that point she knew he was lost.

Now he was at point Zero for once more, no protector, no supplies, but at least a gun with some rounds left,  
how would she do this time? She followed the road a bit further and saw plenty of hills and grass, in this  
beautiful sunrise... it looked golden, words could barely describe the beauty of this morning. The walkers were  
still having at Omid's corpse so she got rid of them, the ultimate sacrifice. _"Give part of yourself, so others could live."  
_Omid was a good man, with a good heart, and he showed it that day, he laid there on the street, with Christa.  
Another dead couple, but unlike the other dead couples, they would rise from the dead and be together in all eternity,  
kind of what they wanted, even if not in that particular way.

She arrived on a field and stared up in the sky, thinking of what has happened, from day one. All the good things,  
all the bad things, and sunk down on her knees. She started to cry, she had experienced more loss than any adult  
could cope with, any adult would've moved his hand with the gun in it up to his head, and pulled the trigger.  
But that was not the way kids thought, they were taught to stay positive and to see the good things in the very worst situations.  
Lee always told her to stay positive, because whether you fool yourself or not with it, positive thinking keeps you going, and that keeps you alive.

She remembered his words, always to stay positive, her dad always said that too, she knew there  
was truth in this words so she grabbed a thought of Lee and her parents together in heaven,  
the picture she drew back at the train, and got up again, she moved on.

After a few minutes she arrived at some kind of camp fire, but the fire was gone long ago,  
there was a Log, she sat down, and looked on the ground, there were some shotgun shells,  
and she picked one up to investigate it, there was nothing she could do with it, and nowhere to put it,  
to carry it. She wiped through her eyes once more and looked into the horizon.  
Hills, grass, wasteland, but on a very far hill she saw something black, two mysterious figures in the distance,  
she stood up and didn't know what to do, the last people they had contact with tried to kill them,  
but who were those people? Possible allies? More bandits?  
She froze to the core once more... What would Lee do?

**Author's note:  
Thanks for reading,  
this story is finished.  
At least for the moment,  
I'll let it marked as "In progress"  
but I don't know if there is  
anything I could add, or  
a way I could continue,  
if I figure something good,  
logic and interesting out,  
I'll continue. Thanks for reading  
till the bitter end!**


End file.
